Our Life Forgotten
by Lorilozz
Summary: Naley Season 4.After the season finale Nathan has been in a coma for 3 months. Haley is pregnant but no one knows. When he finally wakes he doesn't remember Haley or their life together.
1. Alone & Waiting

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or any of it's characters.**

**Authors note: This is only my second fic and it's my first Naley fic. I hope you enjoy it. Please review.**

**Summary: _This is what I think could happen in season 4. After the accident Nathan is saved, but has been in a coma for nearly 3 months. Haley was going to tell Nathan that she was pregnant, but didn't get the chance. No one else knows she is pregnant yet. Nathan wakes up but has some memory loss and doesn't remember Haley or Lucas. He still thinks that he is a sophomore, living with his parents and dating Peyton._**

The one bedroom apartment which most people would think of as small seemed so large and empty to Haley as she sat on the couch staring out the window. Empty… now that was a feeling she was becoming used to. She had been living in this apartment…their apartment, by herself now for almost 3 months. Since that horrible day. Her wedding day.

She could still see it now as if it were yesterday. She and Nathan had just left their wedding reception and were on their way to the airport for their honeymoon in London when suddenly their was a limousine speeding towards them. Nathan swerved and the limo went over the edge of the bridge, flipping over before slowly being swallowed up by the river below.

But as horrific as that memory is, it pales in comparison to the memory of hearing Nathan say 'I love you' before jumping off the bridge to help those inside the sinking car.

She can still hear herself screaming his name. Screaming for someone to help her. Then she saw it… her charm bracelet from her first tutoring session with Nathan. The bracelet she had put on his wrist just before the accident, before her life turned into this nightmare.

She can't remember how long she stood and stared into that dark water, silently, unmoving, in a daze. She distantly heard her name being called. Then she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned slowly to see Lucas' concerned face. He was asking her what happened, but all she could do was stare at him before uttering one word… 'Nathan'.

After that, it's all a complete blank to her. The doctors say she went into shock and blocked everything else out.

_She woke up in an empty hospital room completely alone and confused. Looking down she saw that she was not wearing her beautiful wedding dress, but a gown of a completely different nature. That's when the panic hit her. Why was she here? Where was Nathan? Why weren't they at their wedding?_

_Lucas walked into the room expecting to see Haley still sleeping, but was surprised to find her awake and staring off into space._

'_Haley. Haley. Haley!' Lucas called trying to get her attention._

_She heard her name being called and looked over at her best friend. Something was wrong. He seemed so exhausted and defeated. His normally beautiful crystal clear eyes were clouded with worry and concern. His jaw was clenched and he looked like he was trying not to cry._

_Lucas saw her look at him, but her face was void of any emotion. She was staring blankly at him like he was a stranger…. No.. it was like she was staring through him as though he wasn't there at all._

_So he began calling her name again. 'Haley. Haley' he said softly but firmly._

_His lips were moving now. In the distance she could hear her name being called. A strange sense of déjà vu came over her. And then it hit her. The events of the day came flooding through her head.._

_Lucas was looking into her expressionless face when he suddenly saw the terror in her eyes before she screamed..'NATHAN!'._

Haley involuntarily shivered at the memory. Her phone started ringing and bought her out of her reverie. She looked at the caller ID to see it was Lucas calling her

'Hello?' she answered in her fake sing-song voice

Hey Hales. I'm going into the hospital in about half an hour. Want me to pick you up?'

'Sure. See you soon.' She replied before hanging up.

She didn't feel like talking to Lucas right now and if she wanted look presentable she was going to need to take that full half hour to get ready.

Exactly half an hour later Lucas was standing in her doorway asking if she was ready to go.

'I'll just be a minute' she yelled from the bathroom. Looking at her reflection in the mirror, she applied some lip gloss and decided she ready to face the day.

'You look a lot better today' Lucas commented. Looking her up and down. Lately he had become accustomed to seeing Haley in sweat pants and baggy jumpers or possibly a pair of jeans, but today she was wearing a long chocolate brown cord skirt with black heeled boots, a black turtleneck sweater and her hair was pulled into a messy pony tail.

'Thanks' she replied with a smile.

'I thought I was going to have get the fashion police, aka Brooke over, here to raid your closet and remove all your sweats and jackets!' joked Lucas

Haley knew she had let herself go a bit lately, but what Lucas and everyone else didn't understand was that it's kind of hard to motivate yourself to look good when you're suffering from morning sickness 24 hours a day. Not to mention the fact that she no longer had anyone to look good for.

But Haley's morning sickness had subsided and she was so grateful. It had been hard keeping the secret of her pregnancy to herself, but everyone just assumed it was the stress she was under that had made her so tired and weak. And if she didn't have her and Nathan's unborn child to think of, she probably would have let herself succumb to the black hole of emotions that swirled around her head. But she wouldn't do that. She had to be strong.

There he is. Nathan. Her husband. The father of her child. The love of her life. Lying so peacefully in the hospital bed. She still gets goosebumps every time she sees him.

Lucas had decided to give her some time alone with him and went to get them some coffee from the cafeteria.

She sat down on the chair beside his bed and held his hand.

'My god you are beautiful' she whispered to him. Every time she sees him it feels as though he gets more handsome. His strong jaw line, and prominent features along with his dark hair made her think that he was the epitome of 'tall, dark and handsome'.

Nathan had the most beautiful piercing blue eyes and she just wished that they would open so she could lost in them and forget the tragic mess that had become her life.

Haley felt a slight pressure on her hand. Just as she was thinking that she had imagined it, she looked down to find Nathan's hand gently squeezing hers. Haley looked to his face and saw him trying to open his eyes.

She stood and softly placed her other hand on his cheek while gently whispering his name. His eyes still weren't open, but she could see him trying to speak. Her heart soared. It had been nearly 3 months of waiting. Waiting for her husband to wake up and end this nightmare she had been living in.

A tear escaped from her eye and fell down her cheek. He was back. Her Nathan was finally coming back to her.

Then he spoke. His first word after months of silence and Haley felt her heart shatter into a million pieces as he hoarsely croaked out the name '_Peyton_'.

**_I would really appreciate your comments. Let me know what you think so far and if you would like me to continue. Thanks!_**


	2. Who are you?

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or any of it's characters.**

**Authors note: This is only my second fic and it's my first Naley fic. I hope you enjoy it. Please review.**

"Peyton"

The name pounded in her head and she couldn't help but flinch at her husband calling out the name of another woman. She dropped his hand and took a step backwards in shock.

At this point Lucas walked through the door into the obvious tension. He could see Nathan stirring, but the look on his best friends face was anything but happiness and relief.

"Haley?" Lucas called softly as he walked over to her and Nathan. He looked into her eyes and couldn't quite read the emotions behind them. He was pretty sure he could see hurt and confusion, but what he noticed most were the tears forming, threatening to spill out at any moment. He could see they weren't tears of joy. They were tears of pain.

Haley looked down again at Nathan before turning to Lucas and walking out of the room. As she reached the door she turned back and with barely more than a whisper said "I'll go get a doctor".

Lucas stared after her for a moment wondering what was going on with Haley, but soon turned his attention to his brother. Nathan was still stirring, moving his head from side to side trying to wake up. He stilled for a moment before opening his eyes slowly.

Just open your eyes. Open them. Why can't I open my eyes. Nathan was beginning to get frustrated. He decided to calm down and try again. This time they were opening and light started to gradually stream in. It was really bright and he was having trouble adjusting. He could tell he was in a room that wasn't his, but he couldn't see anyone else.

Nathan found this strange as he could swear he heard a soft, sweet female voice just moments ago and felt warm, soft skin on his hand. He thought he must have dreamt it but knows his skin is still tingling from the touch.

"Nathan?"

This grabs his attention as he was definitely not expecting to hear a male voice right then. He slowly turned his head in the direction of the voice and notices a figure sitting by the bed. He sees the figure reach for him and feels him take his hand reassuringly. As is vision adjusts to the light he can now see a boy sitting next to him with blond hair and blue eyes, about the same age.

"Why does he look so familiar?' he thinks to himself. 'Who is he?".

Then it registers. That is Lucas Scott! His half brother who he has had no contact with besides school for his entire life. The bastard son his father never wanted. Even though his nothing personal against this boy, he has been raised to despise him. But that is difficult when Lucas is looking at him with love and concern. "Why is he looking at me like that?" thought Nathan.

"What the fuck?" Nathan rasped before he quickly jerked his hand away from Lucas as though the touch had burnt him. Lucas was taken aback, but quickly recovered and smiled at Nathan to assure him everything was ok.

"Nathan, it's ok. You're in the hospital, and you have been unconscious for a long time, but everything is gonna be fine. Haley's gone to get the doctor and he should be here any second."

Nathan just looked at Lucas confused. 'Who the hell is Haley?' he thought to himself. But before he could give it any more thought he looked up to see a doctor entering the hospital room.

The doctor started talking to Nathan explaining where he was and why he was in the hospital. He calmed down a little knowing why he seems to be a little confused.

Out the corner of his eye, he noticed a petit figure standing next to Lucas. He looked over to get a better look and saw that it was girl about their age. She looked about 5'2 with long sandy hair pulled into a pony tail and large deep brown eyes. She was beautiful in an understated way. He lost himself in her eyes for a second before she looked away. When she turned back he saw tears beginning to fall from her eyes. "Why is she crying?" Nathan thought to himself.

"Who are you?" he said still keeping eye contact.

What he saw next threw him for a loop. Those gorgeous expressive eyes flashed with pain and hurt. It was like he felt her heart breaking.

Haley thought the last 3 months had been a living hell, but she would gladly go back if Nathan would stop looking at her the way he was.

While Lucas was clearly confused about what was happening, Haley knew within a second of locking eyes with Nathan that he had no idea who she was. Normally Haley would do anything to be looking into those beautiful blue eyes of his. But at this moment she couldn't stand it. She would rather see anger or coldness than the look he was giving her now.

"What are you talking about man? It's Haley. Your wife". Lucas said getting slightly frustrated. He new Nathan would be a little groggy after waking up, but this was getting beyond ridiculous. What the hell was wrong with him?

He put a protective arm around Haley's waist sensing her discomfort, but she pulled away before quietly choking out "I'm just… I have to go" and running out of the room.

Nathan watched her run out of the room before Lucas' comment dawned on him. "It's Haley. Your wife".

At that moment Deb entered the room. Nathan felt a smile creep across his face when he saw his mother. Finally someone who could tell him what was going on. Someone he trusted.

"Mom" he said as she walked to him.

She sat down on the side of the bed and pressed her lips to his forehead. "My boy. Thank god you're awake. We have waited so long for this".

"Where's Dad?"

"He's coming sweetie, I just called him with the news"

"What about Peyton? Is she coming?" he asked eagerly

As soon as Nathan had asked if Peyton was coming, the pieces started to fall into place for Lucas. Nathan had no idea who Haley was. He was acting like Lucas had leprosy. And he was asking for Peyton.

There was something wrong with Nathan's memory. It was like he could he only remember up to before Lucas had joined the basketball team and their lives had been intertwined. Life before the brothers had put aside their differences and formed a bond. Life before Nathan had met Haley and fallen in love, and married her. When he was still a complete jackass…. And when he was still dating Peyton!

"Peyton?' Deb asked warily. 'Um.. I don't know. Maybe Ha…"

Deb was quickly interrupted by Lucas stating 'We will call Peyton for you'. Deb looked at him strangely before Lucas asked her to talk to him in the corridor for a moment.

"Lucas. What the hell is going on?" Deb questioned.

"Deb. I think Nathan is suffering from amnesia or something. It's like he has lost all memory of the last few years"

He could see Deb's mind working overtime and she was looking at him with questioning face.

"I know it sounds stupid, but ever since he woke up he has been looking at me like he used to. You know.. before we became friends"

"Well that doesn't mean anything. He's been through a lot Lucas. He just needs time to re-adjust"

Lucas placed his hands on her shoulders and looked at her before stating slowly 'He doesn't know who Haley is'.

Deb gasped.

"She was in the room just a little earlier" Lucas explained "and when he saw her he looked at her blankly before asking who she was"

"Oh my god. Nathan. My poor Nathan" Deb whispered to no one. Then it hit her.

"Oh Lucas. How is Haley. Where is she? It must be killing her".

"I don't know, but she ran out crying before and I have to go find her. You need to let the doctor know what's going on and ask him how to handle the situation." He said before walking away to find Haley.


	3. In need of a best friend

Haley sat on a bench out the front of the hospital with her head in her hands. What was she going to do? Her husband and the father of her child had no idea who she was. The tears had started to fall and there was no way she could stop them now.

She felt the arm around her shoulder and immediately new it was Lucas who was pulling her to him. She fell into his arms and sobbed uncontrollably into his chest.

Lucas hated seeing his best friend this way. He had always tried so hard to protect her, just like he would a little sister. She meant the world to him and there was nothing he could do to take away her pain. Even though Haley had always had a large family and older siblings to watch out for her, soon after their friendship began, Lucas had progressively taken over the role.

For years he had managed to look after her without issue, then along came 'Nathan Scott'. Lucas had seen Nathan as a big threat to Haley's happiness. He had tried to keep them apart, but Nathan had proven himself to Lucas and soon the role of protector had been passed on. He trusted Nathan with her safety and with her heart. But in a cruel twist of fate, it was now Nathan who was hurting her, albeit unintentionally.

"It's going to be ok Hales. He's just woken up and probably needs a little time for his mind to clear up. We need to talk to the doctors before we get too worked up. I'm sure this is just a temporary problem… part of his recovery."

Haley looked up into Lucas' eyes and instead of the pain and hurt he expected to see, it was pure fear. She was like a terrified little child.

"I'm pregnant Lucas. What am I gonna do?"

Unfortunately neither of them noticed Dan walking past them on his way to the hospital entrance.

Deb caught sight of the doctor leaving Nathan's room and called out to him. He took her over to the seats in the waiting room to disuss Nathan's condition. Just as they had taken a seat, Dan noticed them from the end of the hall. He called out to Deb who looked up and upon seeing him couldn't help the frustrated sigh that escaped her lips.

Dan introduced himself to the doctor and took the seat next to his soon-to-be ex-wife.

"Now, this is going to be a little difficult to comprehend and even more difficult to deal with, but after examining your son, it appears that he is suffering from short term memory loss or amnesia" stated the doctor calmly

"What do you mean short term memory loss? How short term are we talking? Like he doesn't remember the accident?" Dan questioned the doctor

"I'm afraid it's a little more than that." He replied

Deb could see that Dan was about to explode and quickly interrupted him.

"Dan. Nathan can't remember anything about the last few years. Haley was with him when he woke up and he has no idea who she is. He doesn't remember having formed a relationship with Lucas. And he was asking for Peyton. I'm pretty sure he thinks they are still dating."

It was all Dan could do to stop the smirk from forming on his face. This was his chance. His chance to erase everything that had happened since Lucas had joined the team. Since that gold-digging tramp had ruined his son's life. His chance to get his family back.

But none of those feelings or emotions were exposed to Deb. Instead she saw a pained father full of concern for his son. She quite taken aback as she saw a lone tear fall down his cheek. She placed her hand on his for comfort.

"What should we do Doctor? How can we help our son?" asked Deb

"I know this is a very difficult situation, but Nathan has been through a lot and he needs a stress free recovery. In most cases, patients regain their memory and quite quickly, but sometimes it can take a little longer. And unfortunately in a small percentage of cases, a patients memory may never return."

Now it was Debs turn to cry. Her son's world had been turned completely upside down and he didn't even know it. Dan gently rubbed soft circles on her back. Normally she would flinch at the touch, but she needed comfort now more than anything.

"Mr & Mrs Scott. It is highly recommended that Nathan avoid stressful situations at all costs. Is it at possible that you, your family and friends can aid your son's recovery by playing along with his old memories? At least for a while until he most likely starts to remember on his own?"

Deb was about to question this before Dan quickly interjected "Of course. We will do anything to help our son. Won't we Deb?"

She just nodded her head. What else was there to say or do. It was in Nathan's best interests. She just hoped they could pull it off and not destroy too many people in the process.

Lucas took the keys from Haley's hand and unlocked the door to her apartment.

"Sit down on the couch and I will make you some tea" he suggested

Once the tea was ready he sat down next to Haley and held her hand. She had calmed down considerably since her breakdown outside the hospital. He actually didn't know how she was handling this so well, because since she had broken the news of her pregnancy, Luke had felt anything but calm. He was scared for her.

While drinking the soothing beverage, Haley explained to Lucas how she had found out about the baby two days before the wedding, but had decided not to tell Nathan until afterwards because he already had enough to deal with. She knew the last discussion she and Nathan had had about the issue when they had just gotten back together hadn't really been very positive, so she was understandably nervous about breaking it to him. She was about to tell him in the car after the wedding reception, but then the accident had happened.

"Why didn't you tell me Hales? You shouldn't have had to go through this alone. Or if not me, then Brooke or Peyton?"

Haley flinched at the mention of her friend's name. 'Peyton'. It still stung hearing Nathan calling for her. Calling for the bridesmaid instead of the bride.

Lucas didn't notice and was still waiting for a response.

"Look Luke. I know it would have been easier to deal with if I'd had someone to help me. And no offence, but the only person I wanted to share this with has been lying in a coma for 3 months and doesn't even know who I am!" she said with exasperation.

Lucas bowed his head and mumbled an apology.

"No. I'm sorry Luke. I'm not upset with you. I just need you to understand that as far as I was concerned, I couldn't tell anyone before I told him. This is his baby. Our baby. And although it definitely wasn't planned, this baby was made from an act of love between me and my husband. How could I possibly share the news with anyone else first." Another tear escaped her eye.

"I thought he would wake up sooner than he did and I thought it would be the happiest moment of life. Having my husband back and telling him that we were going to have a baby. "

Haley was silent for a moment before continuing. "But instead of the beautiful moment I have dreamt of for the past 3 months, it was a nightmare. Worse than anything I could have possibly imagined"

"I'm so sorry Hales. I know this should have been a happy day for you." He said sincerely while pushing a strand of hair behind her face. He pulled her to him and she lay against him with a blanket pulled over her.

The quiet was interrupted by the ring of Lucas' mobile phone. He was going to ignore it, but saw the caller ID was Deb.

"Hi Deb. What's happening? Is everything ok at the hospital?"

"Um.. Hi Lucas. Nathan's fine. They're releasing him tomorrow"

"Wow Deb. That's great!" he said excitedly. He now had a glimmer of hope. Maybe Nathan's memory was fine and it just took a while for everything to sink in.

He looked at Haley, who also had a look of hope on her face.

"Luke. He's fine physically, but you were right. The doctors say he has amnesia. Nathan still thinks he's a sophomore living at home with both of his parents. They recommend that we play along with this, at least for a while until he starts to regain his memory."

"Oh…" Luke sighed dejectedly. And with that one word, Haley's face fell. She knew Nathan wasn't ok. She wasn't ok. Nothing was ok.

"Listen Luke. We are having a meeting at our house tonight at 6pm with family and Nathan's close friends to discuss the situation before he comes home tomorrow. We need to figure out how to work this. I know Nathan doesn't remember Haley or that you and he have truly become brothers, but I would really like you to be apart of his recovery. We will figure something out. Please will you come tonight and bring Haley with you?"

He glanced at Haley who had crawled into the fetal position on the couch.

"I'll be there."

"And Haley?" asked Deb

"I don't know. I will see you later Deb" responded before hanging up.

"I've lost him haven't I Luke?"

"No. Don't even think that. This is temporary. He may not know it Haley, but Nathan needs you. Deb is having everyone over tonight to discuss his condition and make plans on how to help with his recovery. We should go tonight and just see what happens. Will you come with me Haley?" he pleaded while softly stroking her hair.


	4. Playing along

Peyton arrived on the doorstep of the Scott's home. She rang the doorbell and waited anxiously for it to open.

"Hi Peyton. Thank you so much for coming". Deb said while letting the blonde girl in.

"Are you kidding? I have been waiting for that call for 3 months now. I can't believe he finally woke up. It's such relief." She told Deb sincerely

Peyton noticed that no one else was here yet.

"Am I too early?"

"No. Actually, Peyton we wanted to speak with you first before everyone gets here" said Dan joining the two women in where they say in the lounge room.

Peyton was surprised.. no shocked to see Dan. As far as she knew, the couple weren't speaking and Nathan and Deb had a restraining order against him.

"Um.. Hi Mr Scott. How are you? You must be so happy about Nathan" she said trying to sound as friendly as possible.

"You have no idea" he replied with only a hint of his usual smirk.

"Peyton, dear. I'm going to cut right to the chase and explain why we asked you here. Now as you know, Nathan woke up today. But unfortunately there has been a slight problem" Deb stated

Peyton's face fell. She had thought since nothing was mentioned during their earlier phone call that Nathan was fine and would be home tomorrow.

"It's his memory. The doctors informed us that Nathan is suffering from short term memory loss and they don't know how extensive the damage is or how long before he regains his memories." Deb sighed.

"If ever" said Dan a little too quickly for Peyton's liking.

"So he has like.. amnesia or something?"

"Yes. He doesn't remember anything about the last few years. As far as Nathan is concerned, before he fell into that coma, he was a high school sophomore. Living here with both of us" said Deb motioning between herself and Dan.

"Oh.. Ok. Um, I'm sorry, but I still don't see why you needed to speak with me alone. Couldn't you have just told me this with everyone else?" asked a slightly confused Peyton.

Dan was growing tired of this conversation already. Peyton played an important part in his new plan for his son. She was going to keep him away from Haley. He was anxious for her to agree to play along with them.

"I know it may seem a lifetime ago to you, but surely you can remember back to that time? What you were doing? Who you were dating?" Dan hinted

And the hint worked. Peyton remembered that she was still with Nathan at least at the beginning of that year. She started to Panic a little.

"Well yeah.. I mean sure Nathan and I were together, but we ended it pretty early on that year. I'm sure he remembers that we split up" she said hopefully

Deb looked Peyton straight in the eye "Your name was the first word he spoke. He was calling for you when he woke up. He asked for you when I arrived at the hospital"

Peyton couldn't believe this. It was crazy talk. So much had transpired in both their lives since they were together. She had fallen in love with Jake.. and Lucas. Nathan had gotten married for Christ's sake…. Oh Shit!

"What about Haley" she asked Deb frantically

Deb turned quickly, unable to look her in the eye. She turned towards Dan and noticed the slightest hint of a smile on his face. What a bastard.

"She was there wasn't she? She was there when he woke up… when he called out for me. Oh my god. She must be a mess. I'm sorry, I have to go. I need to speak to Haley." Said Peyton while picking up her jacket and heading for the door

Deb stood up and gently grabbed Peyton's wrist.

"Haley should be here soon. She's coming with Lucas. The reason we asked everyone over is to discuss Nathan's condition and to ask that you help us with his recovery. The doctors have recommended that Nathan not be under any stress, therefore we need to keep his life as stable as possible and as close as possible as to how he remembers it."

"Are you saying that we have to pretend that the last couple of years didn't happen?"

"No. We plan on letting Nathan know that he has amnesia, and that High School is over. That is going to be a big enough shock for him. Dan has moved back in here to live with me so we can appear to still be …. Happily married. What we need is for his friends to pretend that nothing much has changed. That's the only way he will be as comfortable and stable as possible. Of course this means we need you to pretend that you are still together"

Peyton knew that was coming, but it didn't stop her jaw from dropping. She couldn't believe this was actually happening. It was like the freaking' twilight zone. She sat down on the nearest chair and stared at her feet for a few minutes.

"Ok."

"Was that an OK?" asked Deb hopefully

"Yes. If it's what's best for Nathan, then yes. He is a good friend and I want to help him." She looked up at Deb with tears in her eyes. "I just hope I don't hurt another friend in the process" she said thinking sadly of Haley.

"Thank you Peyton. You've always been a wonderful girl" Dan stated before leaving the room. He never really thought that much of her to be honest, but compared to Miss Haley James… well you know what they say. You don't appreciate what you've got 'til it's gone.

Peyton shivered upon hearing this from Dan. It was never a good sign to receive a compliment from the Devil!

After Deb and Dan had finished explaining the situation to Nathan's friends, the room became silent. No one could comprehend that this was actually happening to their friend.

Haley had managed to keep calm throughout the whole meeting. It was hard to hear them talk about the plan for Nathan's recovery, but it was worse feeling the stares of her concerned friends. Lucas was there for her and held her hand the whole time. She knew this was difficult for him too. He had finally bonded with his brother after 17 years of hostility, but now it was gone.

"So that's about it guys. We really appreciate your support. Do you have any questions before you go?" asked Dan. Seeing that everyone was ready to go, Dan kissed a fairly unwilling Deb on the cheek and told her he had some business to deal with at the office and was out the door in a flash.

"Haley. Lucas" called Deb

They both turned and Deb could see the defeated look in Haley's eyes

"Would you come sit with me for a minute?" she asked. As they followed her into the kitchen and each sat on a stool at the bench, Deb started preparing some coffee.

"I know this must be devastating for you Haley. I can't stand to see you this way. I know we had our differences when you first married Nathan, but I've seen how happy you make him and how much you love each other. When you renewed your vows that day… I think that was the happiest I have ever seen him in his entire life. I don't want you to be excluded from all of this." She looked at Lucas. "Either of you".

"But how Deb. Nathan didn't even know me back then. I'm a complete stranger to him. How are you going to be able to include me? Or Lucas for that matter. Nathan didn't even know me, but he hated Lucas. He harboured a lot of resentment towards him. That's all he's going to remember." Replied Haley becoming visibly upset

"Hales. Please calm down. You know you can't get stressed right now" Lucas whispered in hush tones standing and putting an arm around her.

Deb noticed the exchange and heard the comment, but decided not to question it. Not tonight at least. They had other matters to address.

"Haley. I know it's going to be difficult being around Nathan, pretending that the life you shared together never happened, but if you do want to be part of his life right now, I have a solution."

Haley lifted her eyes to Deb, who took this as a sign to continue.

"As you know, school ended a month ago and Nathan never graduated. We know that Nathan can't remember his life over the last couple of years, but the doctors said that quite often, amnesia sufferers still remember other information and knowledge they gained during that time. How would you like to be Nathan's tutor? I really would like him to get his diploma as soon as possible so he still has a chance at college. He may need a lot of help, or he may have retained that knowledge and just need a hand finishing his Senior year. I know it's anything but ideal, but it would give you a chance to at least see him and spend time with him. What do you say?"

Lucas was shocked. He really liked Deb, but how could she be so insensitive? How could she expect Haley to go from Nathan's wife to being just a tutor. A tutor he has never met before. There's only so much a person should have to endure.

Lucas responded in Haley's place "I know your hearts in the right place Deb, but you can't be serious. That's the most ridiculous.."

"I'll do it" Haley interrupted Lucas' rant.

"What?" Lucas exclaimed

"You will? That's great" said Deb

"If it's the only way I get to see Nathan, then I will do it. I love him and I know he loves me… even if he can't remember it. It's going to hurt and it's going to be hard, but as far as I'm concerned it's worth it." She stood up and looked at Deb. "It's been a really long day and I need to go home"

Lucas went into the lounge room to get Haley's jacket.

Deb walked around to her daughter-in-law and gave her a warm hug and whispered in her ear "Thank you Haley. I know this is hard, but I also know Nathan will get better. And I believe that you are the key to making it happen. He may not remember, but his love for you is still in his heart. Love is an amazing thing Haley. He may not know of his love for you, but I'm willing to bet my life on it that at some point he's going to feel it. And when he does… he will remember."

_The water was everywhere. He was sinking. He was drowning. But there was no panic. It was just a natural thing. He looked up and could see the outline of a structure above. It looked like a bridge. There were flowers in the water. Purple and white wild flowers. And something else too. It was a circle with wonderfully bright colours._

_Then came the haunting angelic voice 'Always and Forever'_

Nathan woke up in a cold sweat. There was that dream again. It was the third time since yesterday.

"God I can't wait to get out of this damn place tomorrow. It's making me crazy" he said before settling back down onto the pillow and falling asleep.


	5. Fireworks and Butterflies

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or any of it's characters.**

_**Authors Note: Thanks everyone for your reviews. **_

_**Valencia Charmaine- I know you wanted more Laley, so I hope you enjoyed the previous chapter. **_

_**For those who were hoping for Pathan, I'm sorry but I think I'm going to disappoint. I'm a die hard Naley fan, so everyone knows how it's gonna end. BUT I'm still deciding whether to make Nathan and Peyton become just friends soon OR to have Peyton start to fall for Nathan. A bit of a love triangle to spice things up. Please let me know what you think.**_

As Nathan lay on his bed listening to Eminem at a ridiculously loud volume he failed to hear the knock on his door. Peyton had arrived and was about to see Nathan for the first time since he had regained consciousness. She was so excited to see him but absolutely terrified of how to act around him.

"Let the games begin" she said before turning the handle and entering the room.

It was so weird. Looking at him now, it really wasn't that hard to pretend. This is exactly how she used to find him when she would drop by during the time they dated.

Nathan looked up and saw her standing at the end of the bed. A smile immediately came to his lips.

"Peyton. I was hoping I would see you today. Come here" he said patting a spot on the bed next to him.

She was so nervous. She didn't want to upset Nathan, but she really didn't want to be intimate with him either. It's not that it repulsed her, but their relationship is in the past and she couldn't help but feel that she would be betraying both Nathan and Haley. Reluctantly she sat down beside him.

Instead of the kiss she was expecting, he just pulled her into a great big bear hug.

"It's so good to see you Peyton. I know it's only been couple of months.. and well yeah I was sleeping through it, but it feels like years since we've been together." He said with a touch of sadness.

"It's good to see you too. We've all missed you" Quickly changing the direction of the conversation Peyton then cheekily added "We all know you're a slacker Scott, but really, did you have to go that far just to get out of going to school!"

He laughed. Which he found weird, because he doesn't remember her ever making him laugh. They had fun, yeah, but she was always so serious and brooding. Guess things change.

"Well, I try my best. And hey, any attention's good attention, right?" he responded with the famous Nathan Scott smirk

"Speaking of school. Congrats on graduating. Must feel awesome" he said "and before you start acting all weird coz I didn't get to graduate with you, it doesn't matter. Mom spoke to the school board and I might still be able to get my diploma and go to college next year. Actually, mom has a tutor coming over this afternoon to help me."

"That's awesome Nate" Peyton replied without much enthusiasm. Nathan's comments reminded her of how he and Haley met through tutoring.

"So. What do you wanna do? Your choice coma-boy. Shoot some hoops, which also means you get to watch me embarrass myself. Or we could play some NBA Live."

Nathan laughed. "Whoa. Look Peyt. I know I almost died and you wouldn't have been able to go on without me… well you and the rest of the world, but just treat me normally ok."

"I am Nate. I was just suggesting something to do"

"Whatever Peyt. I don't care what anyone says. There is no way that you really want to shoot hoops or play NBA Live."

Peyton smiled. "Can't get anything past you, can I Scott"

"It's a hot day. How bout we go for a dip in the pool to cool down, just like we always used to" he asked

We used to do a lot more than just swim in that pool she thought to herself uncomfortably. He must have been able to read her thoughts.

"Get your mind out of the gutter Sawyer. I promise all bathing suits will be left on" he said with a smirk.

"Well I don't have a bathing suit"

"Well I'm assuming you're wearing underwear beneath that clothing"

Nathan couldn't believe how easy she had become to rile up. She never used to be so bashful. "Besides, I'm under orders not to do anything too strenuous and from what I can remember Peyt, our little sessions were anything but restful"

"You may have lost some of your memories Nathan, but you obviously have no problem remembering that king sized ego of yours!" she retorted.

At that, Nathan jumped to his feet and picked her up of the ground and dumped her back down on the bed. At first Peyton didn't know what to think, but then he started tickling her and she knew it was just a game.

Haley had been both looking forward to and dreading this tutoring session all day. She couldn't wait to see Nathan. Beside those few moments at the hospital a couple of days ago, she hadn't seen him at all. She just wanted to make sure he was ok. She was so nervous about how she was supposed to act. Haley knew it wouldn't be easy to be near him and pretend she wasn't in love with him. God! Everytime she looked into those blue eyes of his her heart raced and a smile crossed her face. Well not today. She had to pretend that she knew him, but only as a tutor from school.

Haley had taken her rings off. That was one awkward conversation she wanted to avoid. She knew Nathan would probably keep it strictly business, but seeing a wedding ring on a fellow student's finger is bound to rouse his curiosity. Thank god she wasn't showing a baby bump yet. That's a whole other can of worms she wasn't planning on opening just yet.

After several knocks on the door, there was still no answer. Haley had been to the Scott house a million times and normally she might open the door and shout out to see if Deb was home, but in her new role as Nathan's tutor, she didn't think it would be appropriate.

She decided instead to go around through the side gate to the backyard and try the back door. As she rounded the corner she could hear voices. Nathan and Peyton's to be exact. Her stomach tensed and she felt sick. But she knew it was all acting on her friend's part, and she could trust Peyton. She would never betray her.

The Scott's large backyard came into view, but she couldn't see where they were. Then she heard splashing. She walked towards the pool area and saw him. A smile came to her face. He looked so gorgeous in his board shorts soaking wet. But then she saw Peyton in her underwear and that definitely wiped the smile off her face.

Peyton jumped on Nathan and dunked him in the water. When he surfaced, she squealed and tried to get away from him, but he was way to fast. He picked her up, one hand under her arm and the other on the inside of her thigh, before throwing her in the water. Now she thought she really was going to be sick. She never wanted to see Nathan's hands on another woman's thigh again.

When Peyton surfaced, she saw Haley standing not far from the pool and froze. She knew what this must look like, and even though she was sure Haley trusted her, it didn't mean she was going to like one bit.

"Hi" Peyton said guiltily

Nathan turned around and saw her.

There's that girl again. And then he looked at her face and saw those eyes. They locked with his for a few seconds before she looked away.

"Hey Peyt. Nathan." Haley greeted them. "Look I can come back. It's obvious you guys are busy"

Nathan noticed that she had forced a smile. It was a nice smile and he almost thought it was genuine until he looked in her and eyes and saw that there was no feeling behind it.

"No. Stay. I have to go anyway." Peyton said while slipping out of the pool. She noticed Nathan's questioning look. "You need to study Nate. Remember, college awaits you"

As Peyton went inside, Nate hopped out of the pool and grabbed a towel. Haley hoped to god she wasn't staring at him. She had always loved Nate's athletic body.

Before she knew it, he was standing right in front of her with his famous smirk and his hand outstretched waiting for her to take it.

"You're my tutor, I assume"

"Um yeah. My name's Haley"

She too put out her hand and shook his. And just like she expected, her skin tingled as soon as their skin touched. She had to close her eyes for a moment. When she opened them, she saw that he too had his eyes closed. As much as it pained her to do so, she withdrew her hand from his. This wasn't going to help things at all.

Nathan didn't know what the hell had happened. One second he's introducing himself to his tutor, ready to shake her hand and the next thing he knows their hands meet and he's got tingles shooting up his arm and butterflies in his stomach. He subconsciously closed his eyes to concentrate on the feeling, when suddenly she withdrew her hand and the feelings had gone. He felt empty.

Peyton watched the scene unfold from the back door. There was Nathan, introducing himself to his tutor. Someone who he has no idea he already knows so well, and at the first contact it's like fireworks. She could see it written on both of their faces. Maybe it wouldn't take long for him to remember after all.


	6. Just a tutor

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or any of it's characters.**

**Authors note: Thank you everyone for your reviews and comments. It definitely is a motivator to keep on writing! **

**Most of you said that you would prefer it Peyton didn't fall for Nathan, but some of you wanted some Pathan action. So, in this chapter, I have decided to try and accommodate all of you. Please keep reviewing, coz if you do, you're sure to get more chapters soon.**

Dan watched as his son studied at the dining room table with Haley. When he walked into his home, this was not what he expected to see. What the hell was going on?

Nathan looked up and saw his father in the doorway, noticing his questioning expression.

"Hey dad"

"Son. Holly"

Haley looked up ignoring Dan's deliberate error and quickly acknowledged her father-in-law. "Hi Mr. Scott".

Nathan noticed the tense exchange and wondered what was going on. Obviously the two had met before. Probably when Haley had tutored him previously, but why would there be any tension between his father and his tutor?

"It's Haley, Dad. I see you've obviously met before. I keep forgetting that everyone else knows more about my life than I do" he joked, trying to lighten the mood a little.

Haley just looked down at the text book in front of her as though it was the most fascinating thing she had ever read. Dan smirked at Haley's discomfort.

"Yes. We've met before… Briefly" Dan addressed his son while still looking at Haley. Then added aloofly "I mean, it's not like Haley is one of your friends, but she stops by occasionally to help with your homework"

Nathan was used to his father being rude, but there was definitely something personal behind this subtle dig at Haley. What could he possibly have against this girl. She was taking time from her own summer holiday to help him graduate. She seemed like a really nice person.

"Would you please excuse me? I just need to use the bathroom" Haley said quickly while getting up from the table.

"It's down that hall, second door on your left" Dan instructed her, knowing full well that Haley knew this house inside and out.

"Thanks. I'm sure I'll find it." She answered unable to keep the anger out of her voice completely. When she reached the bathroom she looked at her angry face in the mirror God she hated that man. He seemed shocked to see her, so it was a safe bet that Deb had forgotten to mention the arrangement to him. Or more likely had chickened out of telling him at all.

"What the hell was that Dad?" Nathan asked with an edge to his voice. "Why do you have treat everyone like crap. She's here helping me and you're trying to make her uncomfortable. I don't know what you could possibly have against her, but just stop it."

"I'm sorry son, but I'm just looking out for your best interests. I know you don't remember her and she does seem like a nice girl, but just remember that appearances can be deceiving." Dan replied putting on a mask of concern.

"What are you getting at? You clearly have an issue with her. What's the deal?" he asked not sure if he rally wanted to know the answer.

"Let's just say that she isn't as sweet and innocent as everyone thinks. She has gotten herself into a pretty desperate situation and it wouldn't surprise me if she tries to sink her hooks into something… or someone who can offer her some stability"

Nathan stared at his father for a moment. What was he talking about? What desperate situation? He didn't really know much about her, but Haley seemed like one of the most responsible and trustworthy people he had ever met. His Mom couldn't praise her enough and from what he could tell, Peyton was friends with her too.

Upon seeing his son's confusion, Dan stepped closer and whispered in his ear "She's already had her fun with one Scott brother, and now she seems to have set her sights on the other".

Dan could tell he still wasn't buying it, so he added "We all make mistakes Nathan. Unfortunately Haley will be paying for her mistake for the rest of her life" then he chuckled slightly before adding "well for the next 18 years at least"

Dan could see that Nathan had put the pieces together. He now knew that Haley was pregnant.

"Just be careful Nathan. The quiet and sweet ones are usually the most manipulative. When women want something, they'll do anything to get it"

Nathan had had enough of this. He wasn't sure if there was any truth to what Dan had told him. There was no reason for him to lie, but there was no way Haley was trying to get anything out him. He could tell she wasn't like that…. But then again, he never thought she would be the type to get herself pregnant in high school.

"Dad! That's just ridiculous. Haley's my tutor. She won't ever be anything else!" he exclaimed

Haley, returning from the bathroom had reached the door just in time to hear Nathan's words. It was like a bullet to the heart. So that neither man would know what she had heard, Haley waited a moment before entering the room. They both turned when they heard her come in. Nathan could see through the fake smile plastered on her face and assumed she was still feeling uncomfortable around his father.

"Look, Nathan, I'm really sorry but something's come up and we need to finish up early. I'll come back tomorrow at the same time?"

Nathan knew she was lying and didn't really have a reason to leave but simply replied "Sure, that's fine. I was starting to lose concentration anyway" he smiled at her and added "I'll see you the same time tomorrow".

While Haley was gathering her books, Nathan couldn't help but stare at her exposed mid-section. Was it really true? Was there really a baby growing in there? He had to stop himself from placing his hand on her stomach.

Just as Haley was about to leave, she remembered her manners and politely said goodbye to Dan.

"It was nice to see you again Holly" he turned his head in Nathan's direction and added "And I must say you're looking well. One might even say you're glowing. Don't you think son?"

Nathan mumbled an agreement and felt his cheeks redden. He knew that his father was referring to her pregnancy, but as far as he could tell Haley had no idea either of them knew about it.

Haley's heart skipped a beat. The comment didn't sit well with her. But of course there was no way Dan could know about the baby. It was just a fluke that his comment hit so close to home.

"Thanks. I've got to go. Bye" she said, leaving Dan feeling very pleased with himself and Nathan consumed with thoughts of her and what he'd just learned from his father.

Nathan decided to shoot some hoops and clear his head. He was still having a hard time dealing with what had happened earlier. He knew his dad had no reason to lie to him, at least not about the pregnancy. But he just didn't think Dan was right about Haley trying to get to Nathan. She hadn't tried a single thing with him. If anything, Nathan was the one who had been attracted to her and had stolen glances whenever he could. He actually felt a bit guilty about that. He was supposed to be with Peyton. He cared about her and even though he didn't love her, they had now been together for over 3 years. Nathan's guilt actually surprised him a bit. He had always been a bit of a player and had his pick of all the girls. Maybe he had softened a bit in the last couple of years.

Nathan's thoughts began to wander to his relationship with Peyton. It was so confusing. He really cares about her and things must be pretty serious if they are still together after so long, but he couldn't help but feel that certain spark was missing between them today. Of course she was a pretty girl. God, she was gorgeous, but he just didn't feel the same attraction towards her that he remembers was once there. They had ended up having a great time hanging out, but there was still an awkwardness to the situation, like it wasn't all that natural.. to either of them.

He shook his head and sighed. He owed it to Peyton to give their relationship a chance. She was a great friend and he didn't want to hurt her. Next time he saw her he would try to be as natural and relaxed as possible. It hadn't escaped his attention that in their meeting today, they hadn't kissed or been affectionate in any way. It surprised him, but he was actually grateful for that.

_She entered his room to find him lying on his bed with his eyes closed, listening to his MP3 player. She quickly removed her clothing except for her black lace underwear and straddled his waist._

_Nathan opened his eyes as he felt someone sitting on him. He was shocked to see an almost naked Peyton straddling him with a lustful look in her eyes. He pulled out his earphones and was about to ask her what was going on before she leaned down and captured his lips in a demanding kiss. It didn't take long for him to respond. Her tongue sought entrance to his mouth and he complied. She grabbed for the bottom of his sweater and pulled it over his head before licking and kissing her way down his perfectly sculpted chest._

_She looked up at him with a cheeky smirk before unbuckling his belt and removing his jeans. She returned to her previous position above him and reached back to unclasp her bra. She let the silky item fall down to expose her breasts. Nathan sat up and kissed her heatedly. He quickly flipped her over and began to remove her panties. Nathan was never one for much foreplay. They always seemed to get too caught up in the moment. Why wait when you can get straight to the good stuff right? As Peyton used her hands and then her feet to slide Nathan's boxers off, it was obvious she had the same idea._

_She placed her legs around his waist and hooked her feet together before he thrust into her. There was nothing gentle about this. There was no love, no pent up passion. It was pure lust for both of them. Just physical._

_Suddenly he felt soft hands run through his hair and down his back. He realized that their pace had slowed down and he was feeling completely new sensations as her hands tenderly explored his body. He had never felt this way before. It was usually frantic and hurried, but this was gentle and tender. Then he realized that they were making love. With all of his sexual experience, he had never made love before. I mean, you gotta be in love to make love right?_

_He lifted his head from where it was currently nestled into her neck so that he could look into her eyes. He had felt a sudden need to connect more deeply. And there they were, those beautiful big brown eyes he could happily get lost in forever. She was smiling lovingly at him. Haley._

Nathan woke up with a smile plastered across his face. Then he realised what had happened in his dream.

"What the hell is going on?"


	7. So I'm pregnant

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or any of it's characters.**

When Haley had left the Scott house, she had immediately gone home to bed. Her first day tutoring Nathan had unfortunately turned into another day she would rather forget.

The next morning she decided to go and see Lucas. She knocked on his door and when he opened it, she could see that she had interrupted something between him and Brooke.

"Hey guys. I'm sorry. It's obviously a bad time. Luke can you just call me later?" she said about to turn around and go home.

"Haley, don't be silly. Come in" Brooke said quickly while smoothing out her clothes. "So how are you doing?"

"I'm ok Brooke. Just trying to adjust to things"

Luke pulled her into a hug and kissed her forehead. "You know I'm here for you right. Brooke too"

"Yeah. I know. Thanks guys. I just had a rotten day yesterday, that's all. Dan is just such an ass sometimes!"

"Dan? When did you see him?" Brooke asked

"When I was over at his house tutoring Nathan" she sighed dejectedly

"Wait a minute. You're tutoring Nathan? How does that work? Does he remember you now?" She asked, regretting her last question

Luke sat down on the edge of the bed with Haley and told Brooke about the arrangement Haley made with Deb. He knew it wouldn't be easy on her, but he could see it was worse than he thought.

"It was that bad huh?" asked Brooke

I was so nervous about the whole thing, but I was really excited to see him, you know? Anyway, I had to go round the back of the house because no one answered the door. Well, the first thing I see is him and Peyton play fighting in the pool with her in her underwear. I know it was completely innocent on her part, but it was hard to see him touching another half naked woman.

"Oh God. That must have been awful. I know I'd castrate Luke if I ever saw anything like that" Brooke replied

Haley laughed half heartedly, but Luke decided to ignore the comment and started to gently rub Haley's back.

"Believe me, it just got worse. Nathan started to introduce himself to me and we shook hands. But it was crazy. There I was just touching his hand and it was the most sensual mind blowing feeling ever." Haley stopped for a moment before adding shyly "I know it sounds stupid, but it was like he felt it too".

"Well that doesn't sound too bad to me, Tutorwife… I mean Tutorgirl. Aagh, I'm sorry Haley" Brooke exclaimed feeling stupid for her insensitive slip of the tongue.

Haley just continued telling them what happened. "Everything was fine until about an hour into studying when Dan came home"

Both Lucas and Brooke groaned.

"He did his usual aloof Haley-bashing routine, made all the easier by the fact that Nathan has no idea how much Dan hates me. So I just made an excuse to go to leave the room. When I was about to go back in, I heard Nate almost yelling at Dan.." Haley was having trouble keeping herself together. She was sick of crying. "He was yelling that I was his tutor and that… that I would never be anything else. It just hurt, that's all". Haley stood up from the bed and turned back to Luke.

"I decided it was best to leave because there was this really weird tension and Nathan was looking at me strangely. Then when I was leaving Dan just made a comment that really got under my skin"

When Haley didn't continue, Luke asked what the comment was. She realised that if this conversation continued, she was going to have to tell Brooke about the baby. Well, she was going to find out soon anyway. Everyone was.

"He put on a fake smile and said 'You're looking well. One might even say you're _glowing_'."

Luke was in shock. Surely Dan couldn't know. It wasn't possible. He was the only one she'd told.

Brooke looked at them both expectantly "I'm sorry if I'm behind here, but besides the fact he was saying something nice, I don't see what's so weird about it"

"He said I was glowing Brooke." Haley could see she still didn't get it. "That's something you would normally only say to a pregnant woman" she hinted.

Haley could almost see the light bulb go off in Brookes mind. "So you're.."

"Yes. I'm having Nathan's baby"

"And Dan knows? I can't believe it. Hang on! I can't believe he knew before I did. I'm your friend. I was your maid of honour." Brooke said pouting and then stopped herself realising how childish and selfish she sounded.

Haley knew Brooke didn't mean anything by it. She was just trying to figure it all out. "I don't understand how he could know. I've only told Lucas" Luke looked at Haley worried for a second, before she added "And I know there is no way you told him Luke".

"Ok guys. Think about it. There are really only two options. Either he doesn't know and it was a random jackass comment. Or he overheard you two talking somehow. Have you discussed this in public.?"

Then it dawned on Haley. "Shit Luke. I told you out the front of the hospital. Dan could have walked by at any time to go see Nate. I can't believe this"

Luke stood and hugged her again. "It's ok Hales. It's not exactly what you planned, but you are going to start showing any day now and pretty soon everyone will know. We can't change it now. What's done is done."

"You're right. I don't wanna hide this anymore. This baby is something I'm proud of. I know the circumstances aren't ideal, but I love this baby and I can't wait to have it. My Son or Daughter may be the only piece of Nathan that I have left." She looked at Brooke and Luke before continuing on a more positive note. "I guess I have a lot of people to share the good news with right?"

Brooke seemed to have gotten lost in her own thoughts. "What are you thinking Aunt Brookie?" Haley asked with a smile

"Aunt Brookie? I could get used to that. You wanna know what I'm thinking? This is totally the perfect excuse to go shopping. Oh my god.. baby clothes are so teeny and cute!" exclaimed Brooke clapping her hands together like a child.

The two girls hugged and the conversation continued on to more positive things like baby names and how many people were going to love this baby. And for the first time since Nathan woke up, she had a few hours of happiness.

The hardest person to tell was Deb. She had no idea how she would react. Her instincts told her that Deb would be excited about her first Grandchild, but then there was the issue of Nathan not being able to know it was his baby. Of course there was also the chance that she would flip out, like she had about the wedding. All Haley could do was hope for the best.

Haley arranged to speak to Deb the next morning before her tutoring session with Nathan. Deb told her that Nathan had plans, so he would be out of the house. She sat down with Deb who had prepared them some herbal tea.

"So. Haley. What is it you want to talk about? I can see you're nervous as hell." She commented lightly

Haley just sat there for a moment, not really sure how to start and then before she knew it, it just slipped out. "I'm almost 4 months pregnant"

Deb didn't know what to think at first. He was shocked, but she had also noticed small changes in Haley's body, but not enough to warrant thinking much about it.

She looked at Deb's face and at first it was pure shock, but then she saw a smile appear and Deb leaned over to hug her. "Oh Haley. I know the timing sort of stinks, but that is the best news I've heard in a long time. I'm so happy for you and …"

Nathan had just come home and heard his mom talking in the kitchen. She saw him and stopped mid sentence. The other person turned around and he realised it was Haley. He hadn't realised that she and his mom had gotten along so well. Their session wasn't for almost another hour, so he assumed it was a social call.

"What are you happy about?" Nathan questioned his mother, knowing it had something to do with Haley.

Deb froze. She couldn't think of anything to say to him. Haley saw this and quickly said "Me".

He looked at her with confusion for a moment before asking "Why?"

"I just told your mom that I'm having a baby" she said with a smile.

Guess my dad was telling the truth. First time for everything. Then he noticed her smile. Wow, a genuine smile from Haley James. He was wondering if he would ever get to see one of those.

For some reason the thought of Haley having a baby was not that weird. It was kind of nice, sweet even. She was one of those people who you knew would be a great mother. Then he remembered Dan saying Lucas got her pregnant. He had been told that he and Lucas had sort of made amends with each other, but it wasn't like he was best friends with the guy, and the thought of him touching Haley… actually the thought of anyone touching Haley, made him want to punch a wall.

Before he could stop himself he questioned her icily "So who's the father?" and when she hesitated, he just got even more pissed off "Or don't you know?"

Haley hadn't seen this coming. As far as Nathan was concerned, he barely knew her. Maybe he had reverted back to his old ways, but even the old Nathan would consider that comment below the belt.

"Nathan!" yelled Deb. "How dare you. Haley doesn't deserve that" she said noticing the tears starting to form in the young woman's eyes.

"Look I'm just gonna go. Maybe tutoring today isn't such a good idea" she mumbled loud enough for them to hear.

Nathan felt like the biggest asshole on earth. He couldn't believe he just said that to her. His mother was right. She didn't deserve that. He had no idea why he was so angry about Haley and Lucas. She could do whatever she wanted… or whoever she wanted for that matter. He just had this feeling in his stomach when he thought about them together. It was kind of like jealousy. Kind of? No, he realised, it was definitely jealousy.

Haley got up and walked to the door. Just as she was about to the turn the handle, she felt his hand on her wrist. Electricity. She closed her eyes and all she could see feel warm sparks. The same tingles as the day before and she just wanted him to hold her. Then she opened her eyes and the tingles were gone. Instead she just felt hurt and anger. She yanked her arm out of his grasp and turned to him.

"Don't touch me" she warned him with a controlled angry voice.

"I'm sorry" he pleaded softly. " I shouldn't have said that. I'm really sorry Haley. I don't want to upset you"

"Why not Nathan. I'm just some stupid slut who got herself pregnant before she graduated, right?" He was about to say something, but she continued "Not that it's any of your god damn business, but Lucas is the father. I'm not a whore Nathan, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't treat me like one". She stared at him for a moment before walking out the door and slamming it shut.

Haley had no idea why she had told that ridiculous lie. She couldn't stand knowing that Nathan thought she was the kind of girl who slept around and didn't know who got her pregnant. She couldn't stand him thinking that their baby was some loveless mistake.

Deb had seen the whole exchange and was terribly worried about Haley. What on earth had made Nathan act that way. It tore her up to see Nathan treat his wife like that. His wife who was pregnant with his child. She couldn't hold back the tears. This was all such a mess.

Nathan saw his mother crying and went to comfort her. "I'm sorry mom. I don't know what happened. I feel terrible."

"She's going to need time to cool off, but then you need to make this up to her. Haley's an amazing girl Nathan, and everyone is richer for knowing her and having her in their life."

"I'm beginning to see that" he said thoughtfully. "Mom, what if she doesn't come back? I mean why would she keep tutoring me after what I did?"

"That's the thing about Haley, Nate. She has the kindest most forgiving soul of anyone I've ever met. I'm sure she will call us in a few days when she's calmed down."

"I hope your right." Nathan said quietly to himself.

**Authors note: Thanks to everyone who is following this story. I know if can be frustrating waiting for some Naley goodness. I must admit even I'm getting frustrated and upset with the Naley tension. It won't be too long now. **

**You're reviews are great and so are your comments and suggestions. You're opinions really do help influence the story, so let me know what you're thinking and what you want. I will take it into consideration.**


	8. Friends?

**Disclaimer: I do not Own One Tree Hill or any of it's characters.**

**_Author's Note: I have had a strong response to the Pathan sections of this story. A lot of people want it to end and get down to some Naley, while others just keep asking for more. So there's good and bad news. This chapter does contain some Pathan action, BUT it will most likely be the last time. Hope you enjoy. _**

**PLEASE REVIEW **

Haley's was still upset over the fight with Nathan, but she decided that moping around, feeling sorry for herself wasn't going to help her or the baby. She needed to start living life again... without him. She owed it to the baby to make the most of her life, so that when her child did arrive, they had a wonderful life to come into.

Over the next few days, Haley shared the news with her friends and family. And for the most part it went well. Of course she kept receiving those sympathetic looks and people questioned how she was going to handle it with the Nathan situation, but mostly people could see that she was happy about the baby, so they were happy for her.

It seemed besides Lucas, her biggest supporter was Karen. Who better to understand what she was going through facing raising a child on her own. And even though Nathan hadn't technically abandoned her… you couldn't help but see the similarity. Both of them raising Scott children with the father out of the picture. Oh well. Them's the breaks.

Peyton heard the news of Haley's pregnancy from Brooke a few days ago. It was no secret that Brooke loved to gossip, and seeing as thought Peyton was Haley's friend too, she decided it was her duty to let her know what was going on.

The news had totally floored her. It was bad enough having to play along with this charade with Haley being Nathan's wife, but now that she was also expecting his child, Peyton didn't know how much longer she could keep this up. She avoided seeing Nathan for a few days because she couldn't handle dealing with all of this right now. He hadn't called her, so he made it pretty easy.

Unfortunately, they had already made plans to hang out at his place tonight, so she decided to suck it up and try to act as normally as possible.

Nathan heard the door bell and knew it would be Peyton so he yelled for her to come up to his room. He had been dreading this all day. He knew he had made a promise to himself to give the whole relationship thing a go, but the more he thought about it, the more he realised he just wasn't into it. It was going to be difficult, but he was determined to pull it off.

Peyton walked into his room and sat down next to Nathan on his bed. He was playing a game of NBA Live and had only managed to nod his acknowledgement of her presence. He kept playing for a few more minutes before turning the game off.

"So pizza's and DVD's?" he asked trying to sound enthusiastic.

"Sure. Sounds ok to me"

"Cool, well I'll go order the food and you pick a movie." He said before leaving the tension filled room.

"This is going to be a long night" Peyton sighed while looking through Nate's collection. She finally chose a DVD and put it in the player waiting for Nathan. He had been a while so she figured he was staying downstairs until the pizza arrived. Thank god.

"Fight Club was an awesome choice Peyt." Said Nathan when the DVD had finished.

"I know. It's got all the blood and gore for you, and hot sexy men for me!" she laughed.

It's now or never Nathan thought. I have to make a move soon or she'll know something is up.

"I'll show you hot and sexy" he said with his best smirk before leaning in to kiss her.

Haley was at the Café eating dinner with Lucas, Brooke and Karen. It was so nice to just sit and enjoy her friends company. She hadn't done it in such a long time. She was going to stay home instead of taking up Lucas' dinner invitation, but after spending months holed up in that apartment by herself, she suddenly felt claustrophobic.

"So Haley, how are you feeling?" Karen asked

"Fat!" she said dejectedly

"What?" Both Brook and Karen exclaimed at once. "Haley you are not fat. You're gorgeous. And it's true about the whole 'glowing' thing… coz you are" continued Brooke

"Thanks Brooke. I needed to hear that. I know you can't really tell about the baby yet, unless you really look, but my stomach has started growing a little, and I've just about grown out of every pair of pants I own. I feel like a heifer."

Haley looked at Brooke and saw the familia glint in her eyes "What?" she asked her.

"I know exactly how to fix that"

"Oh yeah what? Going back in time and using a rubber as well the pill?" she joked

Although feeling slightly uncomfortable with the topic of sex… well actually Haley having sex with his brother, Lucas had to laugh. He hadn't seen Haley joking around in a while.

"No! And enough of the S-E-X talk in front of the baby." Said Brooke

Everyone just looked at her like she had grown a third eye. Brooke wasn't a prude and it was the last thing they had expected to hear from her.

"What?... It's my job to corrupt the kid!" she laughed. She was soon followed by the others.

When Brooke caught her breath, she remembered that she hadn't finished her conversation with Haley yet. "I'm taking you shopping girl. You will have a whole new wardrobe by the time we're done. What do you say Tutormom?"

Instead of getting annoyed with yet another new nickname from Brooke, Haley loved it. It was really starting to sink in that she was going to be a mom. Not just that she was pregnant. Not just that in 5 months she would have a baby to look after. But that she was going to be a real mom. It was so exciting. She had always planned to go to college and have a career before kids came along, but that didn't matter now. She finally realised she was happy about this.

"You're on Brooke. How about tomorrow morning?"

"Keen much? I didn't think you would be this excited about shopping… ever"

"Well actually, I kind of need a new outfit for tomorrow night" replied Haley

Brooke and Lucas looked at her curiously. "What's tomorrow night?" asked Luke

Karen responded "Haley's doing a set at Tric."

Lucas was so happy at that moment. He had spent months worrying about her and now she seemed to picking herself up and dealing with her problems. He didn't know if he could ever be as strong as her.

Peyton was a little surprised by Nathan's kiss, because up until now he hadn't shown any interest. But he was definitely showing more than a little interest now. He had pushed her back on the bed, and by this time they were seriously making out. She kissed him back and wished desperately to stop thinking about how she was betraying Haley. At least he was managing to keep his hands to himself.

Unfortunately, Peyton got her wish as her thoughts wandered to Jake. She had been thinking about him a lot lately, and deeply regretting leaving Savannah. But it was too late now. She knew Jake had said she was welcome back when she figured things out, but it was just too awkward. Peyton had quickly realised she didn't love Luke. He was like this crutch that was always there for her to hold onto, and that was rare in her life, but she wasn't in love with him. It hurt so much to think about it. Why couldn't she stop.

And then she realised she could. She could distract herself… with Nathan. She pushed all thoughts aside and just continued kissing him.

Nathan wouldn't lie to himself. It wasn't completely horrible kissing Peyton. It was kind of familiar, and she was a friend that meant a lot to him. But he just couldn't get into it completely. For some reason his mind kept drifting off to thoughts about Haley. He felt so bad about what had happened, and he still didn't understand his jealousy. He had known the girl for a week… well a week of what he remembered, but he was falling for her. The way she looked at him, spoke to him, and the way he felt when she touched him. It was driving him crazy. He didn't know her that well, but even the way everyone, besides Dan, spoke about her, it was like she was an angel who touched the hearts of everyone around her. He wanted to be around her. He wanted to be with her. He wanted her.

Nathan pulled back from Peyton. "We can't do this. It's not right. It feels wrong. I can tell you're not completely into it. Peyton, your mind is somewhere else. With someone else." He said calmly and evenly

She just stared at him. She knew he was right, but she had just wanted to lose herself for awhile. Now she felt cheap…and guilty. She had almost betrayed one of her friends…. Again.

He couldn't read her, but decided that now was the time to talk this out. He needed to be honest with her about how he was feeling.

"I think we need to talk Peyt." He said looking her in the eye

"Yeah" she replied

"It's just not working is it? I mean, when we are just hanging out, we have so much fun, but then it feels like we should be being more intimate and suddenly there's all this tension." He looked to see her reaction, but she was just nodding her head. "There's just no spark. I think maybe we should just be friends"

"Oh God. Did you just give me the lets be friends line, Nathan Scott?" she asked with an edge to her voice

Shit. He was scared now. The last thing he wanted was to hurt her or get her angry, but when he looked up into her face, he could see she was trying not to laugh at him.

"That was way too easy" she laughed "Who knew you were so gullible, hey?"

"Whatever. I knew you were joking" he tried bluffing

"Yeah, sure you did. Anyway, I'm glad you said what you did, because I feel the same way too. We're better at being friends Nate." They both smiled and shared a hug before Nathan walked Peyton out to her car.


	9. Haley JamesScott?

**Disclaimer: I do not Own One Tree Hill or any of it's characters.**

**Author's Note: Ok. So we're finally getting to more Naley stuff. This chapter has plenty of interaction, and I'm thinking that next chapter will see their first kiss.. well since their wedding. Anywayz, hope you like it.**

**PLEASE REVIEW**

Nathan walked into Tric. He's probably been here many times before, but it's all new to him now. He saw a poster in the main street and decided that most of his friends would probably be there, so he decided to come check it out. He looked around for Peyton, but couldn't see her, so decides to go to the bar and get a drink.

"What can I get you?"

Nathan looks towards the bar tender and is surprised to see Karen Roe. He's never met her before, but he knows that she is Lucas' mom. He just stares at her unable to answer.

Not getting an answer from the person behind the bar, Karen looks up from the spill she has been cleaning to see Nathan standing in front of her.

"Nathan" she says quietly

"Yeah. Miss Roe, isn't it?"

"Yes. But please call me Karen" she response with a warm smile.

Nathan can tell immediately that she is a warm person. He also gets the feeling that this isn't the first time they have met.

"Um. Karen? We've met before, haven't we?" he asks

"Yeah. I know you don't remember, but you and Lucas became quite close over the last couple of years, so we have spent a fair amount of time together." She paused for a moment "It must be really hard. I couldn't imagine meeting strangers and being told that they have been friends of yours for quite a while."

Nathan couldn't help but smile at her. "Well it's definitely weird. But sometimes it's a pleasant surprise." Maybe he should talk to Lucas. It's obvious they had some sort of friendship, and it must be weird for him having to keep his distance.

"Thanks Nathan. Now what can I get you….."

_I never promised you a ray of light_

_I never promised there'd be sunshine every day_

_I gave you everything I have_

_The good, the bad_

Nathan couldn't believe what he saw when he turned to the stage. There was Haley, up on stage, looking absolutely gorgeous, and singing like an angel.

Karen could see the look on Nathan's face when he saw her up there, and she had a feeling everything was going to be ok for those two.

_Why do you put me on a pedestal?_

_I'm so up high that I can't see the ground below_

_So help me down, you've got it wrong_

_I don't belong,_

_There_

_One thing is clear_

_I wear a halo_

_I wear a halo when you look at me_

_But standing from here_

_You wouldn't say so_

_You wouldn't say so if you were me_

_And I, I just want to love you_

_I, I just want to love you_

What is with this girl. It's like every time I think there is nothing that could surprise me more about her, she goes and does something like this. She looks like rock star up there.

Nathan stood by the bar and watched her until she finished the song and left the stage. Everyone was clapping and whistling. Then he saw Peyton walk on stage to the microphone stand.

"Wow. It's been a while since she's graced us with her presence, so how about another round of applause for Haley James-Scott!"

And the surprises just keep on coming The smile was wiped right off Nathan's face. No one said anything to him about Haley being married to Lucas. He couldn't remember seeing a wedding ring. Then he remembered back to the day in the hospital, when he woke up. He had seen Haley and Lucas standing near the bed. His memory of that day was still a bit mushy, but he definitely remembered when he asked about Haley, Lucas had said something about a wife. Lucas must have been saying that Haley was his wife.

Karen realised that she still hadn't gotten Nathan a drink, so she walked back over to him, but stopped when she saw the angry look on his face. From what she remembers of Nathan's temper, it's best not to bother him, so she walked away.

'I can't believe she's fucking married' he thought to himself. 'who the fuck gets married in high school anyway? Then it dawned on him… couples who find out they're expecting a baby. That's who. Oh my god. Haley is married to my brother. Haley is my sister-in-law. I've dreamt about making love to my sister-in-law. I can't believe no on told me about this.

Nathan stormed off to the toilets. He needed to get out of the crowd for a minute.

Haley was leaving the dressing room when she saw a furious Nathan Scott walking towards the toilets which happened to be right next door. What was he doing here? Peyton didn't tell her he was coming. I wonder why he's so mad?

Nathan almost knocked her over as he made his way towards the bathrooms. He hadn't noticed her walking towards him, he had just been focused on getting to his destination.

As soon as he felt the contact, he looked up and saw Haley about to go flying backwards. He reacted quickly and grabbed her around the waist before she lost her footing. Neither of them moved for what seemed like minutes, but was probably only seconds. She didn't want to lose the feeling of Nathan's arms around her. It had been so long. Nathan was having similar thoughts, before he reprimanded himself for thinking that way about his brothers wife.

He quickly steadied her and let go.

"Sorry Haley. Are you ok? I didn't see you there?" he asked suddenly worried that he may have hurt her or the baby

"I'm fine Nate" she barely whispered, still reeling from his embrace.

It was the first time he had heard her call him that. He liked it. He couldn't wait to hear her say it again. He had completely forgotten why he was in such a rush in the first place. It's like he had trouble staying angry around this girl. She calmed him.

He looked down at her hand and noticed the wedding ring. Either he had missed it before, or she just hadn't been wearing it when she was at his house. His stomach tightened and he felt sick, but he knew there was nothing he could do about it.

"So. Anything you wanna tell me Haley? Anything important you may have forgotten to mention?"

Haley froze. There were so many possible answers to his questions.

He nodded to wards her left hand and she remembered she was wearing her ring. Oh Shit.

"Um.. Yeah. Listen Nathan.." she tried searching for an answer

"So you and Lucas are married, huh?"

How the hell did she get herself into this mess. She just nodded, not knowing what else to do.

"I heard them call you Haley James-Scott up there and then I noticed your ring, and well, you are having his baby so it wasn't really that hard to put it all together." He said in what she thought sounded like a resentful tone.

"Well at least he's sticking around right? At least he didn't pull a Dan Scott" he tried joking to ease the tension

"Yeah" was all Haley could manage.

"So is he here? Lucas, I mean."

She looked a little stunned. "I spoke to Karen before and I figured if we really had grown closer, then I should at least talk to him. It's probably been difficult for him pretending like we didn't have a relationship, you know?"

If only he knew how much Haley understood that. But she didn't have time to think about it. She needed to find Lucas and let him know what she'd managed to get them both into.

"I don't think he's here yet. Um.. I've gotta go. Maybe I'll see you later ok?" she said walking past him

"Haley. Wait" he stopped her. "I just want to say once again, how sorry I am about the other day. I was a complete jackass, and I really didn't want to hurt you. Can you please forgive me"

She could see the sincerity in his eyes and choked out "It's ok Nate. I forgive you". As she started walking away again she whispered softly "I'll always forgive you. Always and Forever".

What Haley didn't know was that Nathan had heard her last words and his mind immediately flashed back to his dream.

Haley found Lucas sitting at a table with Brooke on his lap. She interrupted them and asked if she could talk. Brooke was about to leave, but Haley stopped her saying that this involved her too.

"Luke, I've done something really stupid and it affects both of you."

"What is it Hales?" Luke asked curiously and slightly worried

"Well as you know, Nathan knows I'm pregnant." They both nodded "But what I didn't tell you is that I told him you're the father"

"What! Why would you do that Hales?" he asked

"I'm sorry Luke. It just sorta happened. He found out about the baby when I was telling Deb. He was being a real jerk about it. You know how he gets sometimes. He asked me who the father was and I freaked out. I didn't know what to say and when I hesitated, he made a smartass comment about how maybe I didn't know who the father was"

Haley really didn't want to be telling Luke this because he was probably going to feel like knocking Nathan's block off for being such an asshole to her. She could already see him getting upset.

"Don't get crazy Luke. He's already apologised for what he said. Anyway, I just sort of spazzed out and said that it was you. I just couldn't handle Nathan thinking that about me"

She looked up at the couple who were shocked, but not too angry.

"I'm sorry guys."

"It's cool Hales. I just hope he doesn't go on some trip about me abandoning my pregnant girlfriend, just like Dan" he sighed. "I guess it's definitely not on the cards for me and him to talk now"

"Um. Luke. Brooke. There's more." She said meekly

They both just looked at her waiting for her to spill it to them.

"He thinks we're married" she blurted out quickly

"What!" they both yelled this time

"I swear I didn't say anything. He sorta just came to that conclusion on his own."

"Oh, and how did he do that Haley?" asked Brooke who had clearly run out patience.

Haley felt bad enough as it is without copping Brooke's attitude, but she knew they both had a right to be upset.

"He's here. I just ran into him. Literally. Anyway, he heard Peyton call me Haley James-Scott, and then when I saw him, he saw my wedding ring and then of course there's the fact that I told him I'm having your baby, you can see why he came to that conclusion"

"Hales" sighed Lucas in defeat

"I know. It's totally messy. I just don't know what to do now. It's a decision we're all gonna have to make together."

After discussing the situation, they decided that they would just have to play along with it. It's not like it was really going to be a huge issue. Haley would only see him for tutoring, and he hadn't even spoken to Luke. So if they were lucky, it would never be a problem.

They all knew it had been wishful thinking when not more than five minutes later, Nathan walked up to their table.

"Nathan!" Brooke squealed. She hadn't seen him since he got out of hospital.

"Hey Brooke. Still the perky cheerleader, I see"

"Always Nate, Always"

Lucas just sat there not knowing what to do. Nathan would have no memory of the bond they shared. They may as well be perfect strangers.

"Hey, Lucas. What's up man?" Nathan asked trying to break the ice. He wanted to get his life back together, and apparently Lucas now played a part in that life.

"I'm good man. First night out?" he asked hesitantly

Nathan laughed "Yeah. I was starting to go a little stir crazy at home stuck with just mom and dad." He looked towards Haley "except of course when my lovely tutor drops by." Haley smiled at him "I hear congratulations are in order." He directed towards Luke

Luke just looked at him dumbly.

"You know with the baby on the way and all" he stated

"Oh, yeah. Um. We're real excited" Lucas said trying to muster up all the enthusiasm he had.

Nathan noticed it too. And he wasn't impressed. Shouldn't the guy be a little happier, or at least pretend to be. Haley was standing right there, and surely she would have noticed it as well. What an asshole!

"Alright. Well I'm gonna head off. I'll see you 'round Brooke. Luke." He looked at Haley and smiled "Give me a call about tutoring?"

"Yeah, I'll call you tomorrow. Bye Nathan"

He turned back to the group and said "You were awesome up there Haley. You're really talented".

He drove home and went straight to bed where he dreamt of Haley all night long.


	10. Forbidden Kisses

Haley had just gotten out of the shower and was drying her hair. She and Nathan had another tutoring session today and she was looking forward to it. Haley spent at least 3 hours with him every weekday, helping prepare for his make up exams.

It was nearly a month since the night at Tric, and everything had gone smoothly. Haley only saw Nathan at his house, so she never had to pretend to be affectionate with Lucas. Nathan still didn't get out that much, so Brooke and Lucas, while having to be more discreet in public, didn't have to be too worried about running into him.

Finishing her hair and make up, Haley walked into the bedroom to choose an outfit. She decided on the new Jeans she had bought the day before while shopping with Brooke. Shopping for clothes was a regular occurrence these days. It was like out of nowhere the baby started growing like crazy and she now had quite a visible baby bump. At first it freaked her out a bit, but now she loved it. Haley couldn't stop running her hand over her stomach.

It was about an hour until their tutoring session and Nathan was sitting in his room playing NBA Live when he heard the arguing downstairs. His parents were at it again. They seemed to do nothing but fight over the past few weeks. It was all knew to him. He didn't remember his parents ever fighting this much, but then again his mother was away for her job most of the time and it was just Nathan and Dan. But now that both his parents were home all the time, the tension was unbelievable.

They were still fighting almost half an hour later. Nathan had had enough. He picked up his cell and dialled Haley's number.

"Hello" she answered

"Hi Haley. It's Nathan"

"Oh Hi. What's up. You cancelling on me?" she asked trying not to sound too disappointed.

"Actually. I was wondering if I could come to your place instead. It's sort of turning into World War III over here"

Haley knew how much it always bothered Nathan when his parents fought, but he just got used to it. Unfortunately, now, Nathan had no recollection of their never ending arguments and she was worried what toll it might be taking on him.

"Sure thing. Just bring all your text books over here." She told him the address and to come over any time.

She looked around the apartment. There were quite a few photos of her and Nathan that she needed to hide away. Other than that she couldn't see anything else that would pose a problem.

Nathan and Haley were sitting on cushions on the floor at the coffee table. Haley was marking a quiz she had given him, and he was pretending to read a book, while stealing glances at her.

"You wanna come around here so I can go through this with you?" Haley asked Nathan, which brought him out of his daze

"Sure" he said as he got up and went to sit down next to Haley.

Haley was explaining where he went wrong with one of his algebra questions, when she noticed he wasn't paying attention.

"Nathan. Nathan" she said trying to get his attention. He was staring at her stomach.

Realising that he had been caught out, he blushed. "Sorry. It's just kind of amazing that there's a baby in there" he said in awe

It felt so good seeing Nathan this way. This is how it should have been. Nathan excited about their baby and fascinated about every part of her pregnancy.

Without thinking he placed his hand on her stomach. Blue eyes met Brown, and then before he knew it, Nathan was kissing her. It was soft, gentle and perfect. Instead of pulling away, Haley kissed him back.

God. She had wanted this for so long. She missed this. They were both caught up in the moment. As Haley felt a flick of Nathan's tongue on her lips, she was suddenly aware of what was going on. As much as she wanted this, it couldn't happen. She was supposed to be married to Lucas.. well in Nathan's eyes at least.

He felt her pull away and opened his eyes, realising the mistake they had made. He kissed his brother's wife. It was then that he noticed his hand still in her stomach, removing it immediately. Haley felt the cool air reach her skin where Nathan's hand had just been. A single tear escaped and fell down her cheek.

"I'm sorry Haley. I don't know where that came from." He said feeling guilty.

"Nathan. Let's just forget about it ok?" she replied

He had been hoping she would say that, but when she did, it hurt like hell. He didn't want to forget about it. He wanted to do it again, but that was out of the question. Nathan needed to get out of there for a bit.

"It's almost lunch time. How about I go and get something for us to eat and bring it back before we continue with the study?" he suggested trying to ease the tension and find a reason to get out and clear his head.

"Sounds great"

As soon as the door shut, Haley just fell back on the floor thinking about what had just happened. It was what she wanted, and it felt so good to be kissing her husband again. But that was the problem, she wasn't kissing her husband. She was kissing Nathan Scott, the guy who didn't really know her and certainly didn't love her. It was surreal. She almost felt as though was cheating on Nathan with… well, Nathan. Could things get any more complicated?

Nathan decided to go to Karen's Café. Haley worked there and always raved about the food. Plus, he'd like to say hi to Karen if she was there. Who knows, maybe Lucas would be there too. He opened the door to the café and noticed there weren't many customers. He walked to the counter and Karen yelled that she would be there soon. So he sat on one of the stools and took a look around. He liked the atmosphere which was friendly and relaxed, but there was something edgy and cool about the place too.

He noticed a couple sitting at a table in the back corner, obviously making out. They were actually getting a little hot and heavy. Too much PDA for Nathan's liking.

Karen came to the counter and greeted Nathan. He ordered a steak sandwich for himself and asked what she thought Haley would prefer. Karen recommended the mac and cheese, which was Haley's favourite. He waited for the order and paid Karen before saying goodbye. Just as he reached the door, he heard someone playfully yell out Lucas' name. He turned around and saw them. Lucas and Brooke, all over each other.

Nathan was fuming. He couldn't believe Lucas was cheating on his pregnant wife with Brooke. He wanted to walk over and deck him right then and there, but decided against it. The last thing he wanted was for Haley to become the centre of the town's gossip.

When he entered Haley's apartment Nathan had calmed down, but still didn't know what to do with the information. Should he tell her. Does she even want to know? Does she already know? Technically she had been kissing Nathan about half an hour ago, but that was different. It wasn't planned, and he had kissed her first. Obviously, she just got caught up in the moment.

He put the food on the bench and noticed that Haley wasn't where he left her. He called out to her, but got no response. He decided to check the bedroom. It was a small apartment and he figured she would probably be in there. Yes. There she was sleeping peacefully on her bed. Haley looked so innocent and pure. God she was beautiful.

He felt a little weird standing there watching her sleep, so he decided to go back out and eat his lunch. He sat at the kitchen counter eating his steak sandwich, looking around the living area. She was definitely neat, he'd give her that. Nathan was pretty much a slob, so he could appreciate someone who was neat and tidy.

Nathan got up and walked over to a dresser which had a lot of photos on it. He guessed most of them were of her family. She had mentioned that she was from a large family and the youngest of six children. He saw another picture of her and Lucas playing what seemed to be mini golf on a roof top. They both looked really happy, but Nathan couldn't help noticing that they definitely looked more like friends than a couple.

Nathan knocked his leg on a drawer that had not been fully closed. It stung like a bitch, but he didn't want to wake Haley so he internalised his rant. That was when he noticed something bright in the drawer and even though he know he probably shouldn't be so rude and nosey, Nathan opened it to have a look. He picked it up and saw that it was a bracelet. It was a kids bracelet with colourful plastic beads. Haley seemed to be a pretty fashionable kind of girl so Nathan wondered what she was doing with one of these. He placed it back in the drawer and headed back into the bedroom.

Haley was still asleep, however she looked anything but peaceful. He could tell that she was having a nightmare by the worry and fear on her face and how her body was tossing and turning. He wasn't sure what to do, but decided to place his hand on her arm trying to soothe her. He felt her hand grab his, looking for comfort even in her sleep. After standing there for a while, Nathan decided just to lay down next to her until she woke up.. or let go. Whichever came first.

As soon as he lay down, her body turned into his and her head rested against his chest. To Nathan, it felt like the most natural thing in the world. He tried to stay awake, just to watch her sleep and feel her pressed against him, but eventually he closed his eyes and surrendered to a blissful sleep.


	11. Angel in a Wedding Dress

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or any of its characters.**

**Author's Note: Thanks to everyone for their great reviews. I'm glad you're enjoying the story. I know everyone is getting a little bit antsy about still Naley still being apart. I promise it's coming soon. Should be about chapter 13 or 14, so please be patient and stick with the story.**

_Once again he was submerged in water looking up to the surface. The sun was shining down and he could see the bridge. Only this time there was a figure peering down into the water, but he couldn't quite make out who it was._

_The white and purple flowers were scattered on the surface and he could see the colourful circle again. Instead of feeling contentment, he felt the need to struggle. Nathan kicked up as fast at he could, reaching out for brightly coloured object. He felt his body rising to the surface and he soon had the object in his had. His name was being called in the distance and he looked up to see Haley. She appeared to be almost 9 months pregnant, dressed in a beautiful white wedding gown. She smiled at him before whispering 'Always and Forever'._

When Nathan first opened his eyes he couldn't figure out where he was. Then he felt the warm body next to him and looked down to see a still sleeping Haley curled up into his side. Nathan knew he really should leave. It wasn't his place to be there and Lucas could come home at any time. But he was enjoying this way too much. He was enjoying Haley way too much. The feel of her small body next to his warmed Nathan's heart and the smell of her hair was intoxicating. So Nathan decided to just stay where he was for a little while longer or until he could force himself to leave.

While staring at the ceiling Nathan remembered his dream. It started off the same as the others, but this time he had started to fight his way back, eventually reaching the surface and locking eyes with an Angel. Because that's what Haley had looked like to him, a gorgeous angel. His angel. Nathan couldn't help wondering what this dream meant. He just knew it was a message he was supposed to be listening to. The part of Nathan that had become lost was calling out to him through his dreams. But what part did Haley have to play in all this?

Lucas walked up the steps to Haley's apartment. He figured she would be back from Nathan's by now and he wanted to check in on his best friend and see how she was coping with everything. To be honest, Lucas was feeling a little guilty for spending so much time with Brooke. There he was deliriously happy with the love of his life, while his best friend suffered in silence without hers.

The door was unlocked so he decided to go inside. He couldn't see Haley, so he called out for her. He heard some movement in the bedroom and waited for her to come out. When he looked up, he saw his brother leaving the bedroom.

"What are you doing here Nate? Lucas asked cautiously. He and Haley had never discussed the possibility of Nathan coming to her apartment, so they hadn't even tried to make it appear as though Lucas lived there. He just hoped Nathan hadn't noticed.

"Actually I'd rather talk about where you've been. You know, what you've been doing. Or should I say WHO you've been doing!" Nathan accused angrily, but quietly enough to prevent waking up Haley.

"Excuse me? What are you talking about?" asked Lucas vaguely

"I saw you Lucas. I was at the café earlier and caught the 'Brucas' show. It might have been entertaining if I wasn't busy trying to stop myself from punching your lights out." Seeing Lucas' shocked expression, he continued. "How could you man? She's your wife, and she's having your baby. You've betrayed her. Guess you got more from Dan than just your talent for basketball!"

Lucas just looked down towards his feet not knowing what to do. This situation was ridiculous. His brother was angry at him and making him feel guilty for being with Brooke, when he actually had every right to be.

"Where is Haley?" Lucas questioned, ignoring Nathan's comment

"Oh. So now you're concerned about her!" Nathan scoffed. "I can't believe I actually wanted to get to know you. Everyone says that you're this great guy, but I've seen the real you, and you're as bad as our father"

Nathan could see Lucas was about to lose it, so he put his finger to his lips and nodded towards the bedroom warning Lucas to be quiet.

"She's sleeping. Don't wake her up"

All the anger that had built up in Lucas disappeared when he heard the love in Nathan's voice. Nathan was falling for Haley. He was falling in love with Haley all over again. If this wasn't a sign that they were meant to be, then Lucas didn't know what was.

If Haley couldn't have her life back with the old Nathan, her husband, then she could at least have this Nathan standing in her apartment Lucas thought to himself. He had a plan.

"There's something we need to talk about. I know you're pissed at me right now, but you don't have all the details. Will you at least come with me to the River Court so I can explain what's going on?" Lucas asked pleadingly

Nathan didn't buy it, but he also didn't want to tell Haley about what he had seen earlier. If there was a chance to find out he was wrong, then he was going to take it.

"OK. But you better not be fucking with me man" he warned.

Peyton was flipping through her albums behind the DJ booth at Tric. She had been bored earlier at home and decided that preparing for the next night at trick would be both productive and stimulating. Peyton had hoped that if she kept herself occupied, all the thoughts that had been haunting her would magically be blocked out, but of course they hadn't. A week earlier she had gone into a full on rant during her pod-cast about all of these thoughts. Peyton knew everyone must think she was psychotic. She went on about how for months she had been thinking about Luke and Jake. How she messed everything up with Jake and how much she missed him and Jenny. How thinking she was still in love with Lucas was one of the biggest mistakes of her life. Why did she even have to deal with this shit? She had only just finished high school for god's sake. Life should be fun and care free with dates and crazy antics.

She pondered what her life would be like right now if she had chosen to see Pete in Chicago that fateful weekend, instead of Jake in Savannah. They would have had fun, partied, had wild monkey sex, and then she would have come home. Maybe she'd have seen him again, maybe not. But that was the point. It was uncomplicated with no strings attached, just how it should be for someone her age.

A noise just outside the door startled her. She looked up in time to see a figure entering, but with the sun backlighting their frame, she couldn't tell who it was.

"Hi" he stated simply

She couldn't speak. God, she could barely breathe. Silence filled the space between them for what felt like hours.

Then she uttered "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see you"

Haley woke up feeling totally refreshed. She hadn't slept that well since… well since before the accident. Before she spent every night alone. She sat up and looked around the bedroom. This used to be one of her favourite places in the entire universe. She and Nathan would spend days just lying around in bed, making love and talking. She missed those days so much. Now the room made her feel empty and alone. At least in a few months time she would no longer be by herself. She would have her baby.

When she walked into the kitchen, Haley noticed the take out containers on the bench. Then she remembered her tutoring session with Nathan… and the kiss. Oh, how she loved every second of that amazing kiss. She could still taste him on her lips.

Haley became aware of the fact that Nathan's books were still exactly where they had left them. Where on earth could he be? Surely he would have taken his stuff back home with him if he wasn't coming back. Oh well, maybe he just decided to pop out for a bit while she was sleeping.

Haley opened the one of the take out containers and was very pleased to see it filled to the brim with mac and cheese. Haley could never get enough of the stuff, but lately she had become obsessed. She ate the whole tray in record time.

"God. I'm becoming such a pig!" she said out loud. Then resting her hand on her stomach she said "But I'm eating for two now, isn't that right baby?"

"So dazzle me Luke" Nathan said sarcastically before sinking a shot.

Lucas retrieved the ball and walked to where his brother was standing.

"What do you mean?" he asked

"What I mean is you're going to have to come up with something really good to justify cheating on your pregnant wife!" spat Nathan

He had no idea how Haley was going to feel about this, but Luke had to do something. He was starting his own 'Operation Naley'.

"Brooke is my girlfriend" Lucas started

"What, so you're in love with her too? Or are you just using her for sex?" Nathan asked with venom in his voice.

"Yes, I'm in love with her. But I'm not in love with Haley" Lucas put up his hand motioning for an irate Nathan to let him finish.

"Haley's not in love with me either."

Now that grabbed Nathan's attention. Did she really not love her husband. He had only ever seen them together at the hospital and then that night at Tric and they weren't even standing next to each other, so it's not like he had seen them interact or had been able to analyse their body language. He had often found himself thanking God for that. He hated the thought of them together.

"Oh. OK." He said quietly. "But she deserves more respect man. You running around behind her back with Brooke, is just not right. It's disrespectful to her and the baby."

"Nate, Haley knows about Brooke and she's cool with it."

Nathan looked at him suspiciously. "I find that hard to believe."

"Haley and I have been best friends since we were kids. We love each other very much and we always will, but we're not in love. We've both accepted that."

"So, why didn't you tell me before?"

Lucas tried to formulate his best lie. "Well, the night you found out, you just kind of assumed we were together. I haven't even seen you since then to tell you otherwise. As for Haley, well she has a lot on her plate at the moment you know, with the baby and everything. She probably just didn't want to get into with you."

Nathan needed to see Haley. He had to find out if everything Lucas said was true. When he kissed her earlier, he thought he had felt passion from her. Like she needed him and wanted him. At first he brushed the feeling aside but if she was no longer with Luke, maybe she did want Nathan. Maybe she wanted him as much as he wanted her.

He started running in the direction of Haley's apartment. He yelled out a quick goodbye to Lucas and was on his way.

Lucas new exactly where Nathan would be going and he needed to warn Haley about the new situation. He pulled out his cell and dialled her number. It went straight to voicemail. Frustrated, he left a message asking her to call him immediately. He briefly explained what he had told Nathan. Lucas hung up the phone and sighed. He could only pray that Haley got the message before Nathan got to her first.


	12. Misunderstanding

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or any of its characters.**

Nathan reached Haley's apartment in record time. He knocked on her door and waited. After a minute or two when there was no response, Nathan opened the door and called out to her. Still no response. Maybe she had gone out. But then why would she have left the door unlocked.

That was when he heard her voice. She was singing softly and he could make out the sound of running water. A smile formed on his face at the thought of Haley singing in the shower. Nathan immediately felt warmth in his groin at the thought of Haley in the shower. Naked. Wet.

"Stop" he said out loud, admonishing himself for such dirty thoughts.

He heard the water turn off and realised that Haley had no idea he was there. What if she usually walked around naked after her shower, like he did? As much as the thought of 'accidentally' seeing her that way appealed to him, he wouldn't disrespect Haley like that.

Nathan walked back towards the door and yelled out to let her know he was there. "Haley! It's Nathan."+

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Peyton couldn't believe her ears. Did he just say he came to Tree Hill to see her.

"You did?" she asked nervously

"Yeah" he replied

"I'm sorry, but can I ask why? I didn't think I'd see you again." She said softly

"Well I didn't think so either. But I caught your pod-cast last week and I found it really enlightening."

She looked at him questioningly

"What was my favourite part? Oh yeah, you talking about having wild monkey sex! It made for some very entertaining listening" he laughed

Peyton was mortified. Sometimes she forgot that the whole world had access to her inner most thoughts.

Seeing her reaction to his last comment, he quickly stated "I'm sorry Peyton. I didn't mean to embarrass you. I loved your pod-cast. I loved what you said about us"

Peyton wasn't sure why she was being so emotional right then, but she started to cry.

"Please don't cry." He pleaded walking to her and kissing her passionately. It was intense and only stopped when they broke for air.

"Jake. I love you so much"

He smiled warmly at her, then pulled her in close and whispered in her ear "I love you too".

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"Haley! It's Nathan"

Haley had just put on her purple knee length silk tie up robe when she heard Nathan's voice. She had been hoping that he would come back today.

"Just a second Nathan. I'll be right out." She yelled out to him. She grabbed a towel and started to dry her hair. She walked out of the bathroom with her head down and her hands quickly rubbing the towel through her hair.

As she looked up she noticed that Nathan was staring. Actually it looked more like he was zoning out.

Nathan had become speechless. She looked beautiful. He could honestly say that the way she looked now, was better than the naked Haley he had imagined moments earlier.

Then it hit him out of nowhere. It was an image of Haley towel drying her hair. The exact same way she was doing now, but she was dressed in jeans and a top and her hair was a dark auburn colour. She had a look of lust in her eyes and then she removed her top, revealing a silk camisole underneath . She bunched up her top and played with it for a second before throwing it to the side and stepping closer to him. It was so vivid that Nathan would have sworn it was a memory. But there was no way that could have been one of his memories. Maybe Lucas had told him a story about it once, and his overactive imagination had made it seem real.

He broke out of his reverie when Haley waved her hands in front of his face. She was smiling, obviously amused at his trance like state. He blushed, thinking Haley must have thought he was staring at her like a pervert.

"I thought you might be coming back" she said gesturing towards his textbooks. "I'm sorry I totally crashed on you before. I tend to sleep a lot more these days. I like to think of it as sleeping for two." She put her towel on the bench and started to clear away the take out containers. "And thanks for lunch Nate. Some good old mac and cheese was exactly what I needed. Actually, I at the whole thing."

He smiled at her embarrassment, knowing she felt guilty for eating the entire contents of the large container he bought her.

"Well, I like to think you're eating for two" he said with a big grin

She smiled and continued cleaning up.

"Did Karen suggest it?" she asked, because it was her favourite food

"Yeah. She said it was your favourite." He replied

"I'm starting to worry it's becoming more of an addiction. I crave it, like 24 hours a day."

"Well, you know what they say? It's the food of the gods, right?" He stated jokingly

Haley had frozen the moment said it. That was exactly what she had told him on their first date. She turned around slowly unsure of what to think.

Nathan could tell he had said something to bother Haley. She looked at him quite puzzled, but he couldn't figure out what he had said wrong.

"Why did you say that?" Haley asked still in shock

"Um.. I don't know. I guess I just heard it somewhere before. Are you ok?" he asked concerned about her reaction.

Haley was starting to feel awkward, so she quickly responded. "Um. Yeah. I'm fine. Sorry, I find myself going a little nutty at times. Must be the hormones."

Nathan and Haley were silent for a few minutes.

"Haley"

"Yeah?" she asked

"Lucas told me everything" he said timidly, afraid of her response

"He did?" she asked stunned.

Nathan nodded his confirmation.

Haley couldn't believe it. Nathan knew. He knew about their old life together, their marriage and their baby. But just because he knew, didn't mean he remembered it. What did that mean for them now?

"And how… how do you feel about it?" she asked barely above a whisper

He smiled at her. "I was shocked at first. Definitely wasn't expecting that one" he laughed.

Haley smiled. He seemed to be taking it well. Maybe there was hope for them yet.

"The important thing is that you realise that the past is in the past. It can be hard to accept sometimes, but people move on. They go their separate ways. It's sad, but not all marriages survive" Nathan stated softly. He wanted to show his support for her and that he understood Haley and Lucas' decision to end it.

Haley was crushed. She didn't know what to expect from Nathan, but those words had hurt her. She couldn't blame him though. It's not like she could expect him to want to be with her just because someone told him they used to be in love. He doesn't remember those times and he doesn't feel those feelings. But it didn't make it hurt any less.

"What about the baby?" she asked, hoping he would want to be part of his child's life, even if he didn't want to be part of hers

"Try not to worry too much. It sucks that the baby won't have a full time dad like you planned, but he or she will be looked after. You have a lot of friends looking out for you Haley." He assured her.

"Nathan, can you please go" she choked out. She couldn't handle seeing him right now after he had just crushed all of her hopes. She was alone now... for good. He didn't love her and he didn't love their baby. Haley couldn't let him see her cry. It would only make him feel guilty for not wanting them. He didn't deserve that. It wasn't his fault.

"Sure. If that's what you want." He stated unsure of what had just happened to make Haley act his way.

Haley had nodded and walked away, heading towards her room.

After watching her walk off, Nathan had gathered his books together and left the apartment. Obviously the conversation had upset her. Maybe she wasn't as ok with this separation thing as Lucas thought she was. Nathan felt a tinge of disappointment, as his hopes of being with Haley were dashed.

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Lucas had been trying Haley's phone for over an hour, but she never answered. He decided to check up on her and walked to her apartment. He had knocked on the door for about 10 minutes before giving up and going to Nathan's house.

He had reached the Scott house in record time and knocked on the door, hoping Nathan would answer.

"Well, if it isn't my other son" Dan said with a smirk

"Hi. Is Nathan here" Lucas asked awkwardly

"He's in his room. I'd invite you in, but then you'd probably snoop around for incriminating evidence" Dan replied sarcastically

"Look Dan. I just need to speak to him." Lucas retorted firmly

Dan had just shrugged and let him past.

Lucas had walked upstairs and opened Nathan's door to find him lying on his bed staring off into space in total silence. It was quite strange because Lucas had become accustomed to Nathan's need for loud rap music.

"Hi Nathan" he said

"Hey Luke. What's up?" he questioned. This was the first time Luke had stepped foot in this house… well that he could remember.

"I just thought I'd come and see if you had spoken to Haley since our discussion earlier." Lucas asked as casually if possible.

Nathan had been thinking about his conversation with Haley all afternoon. It was killing him, and he definitely did not want to be talking about it with Lucas.

"I went by her place to pick up my text books, but she was kind of busy, so I didn't stay long" he lied

"Oh. Ok. Well you look a bit wiped out, so I'm just going to head off. Call me if you want to hang out or anything."

"Cool. Talk to you later man." Nathan said as Lucas left the room

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Peyton dragged Jake into the dressing room. God she wanted to make love to him so badly. He wanted it to. She pulled his shirt over his head and felt her way down his stomach. Her touch made him shiver. She always had that effect on him. They kissed heatedly for a few minutes before he removed her top and discarded it next to his. Jake picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist before he backed her up against the wall.

Peyton hadn't realised, but she was actually leaning against a Fallout Boy tour poster. It was probably a good thing neither of them had noticed, it might have spoiled the mood. Jake moaned into her mouth which only got her more excited. Her hands moved to undo the buckle of his belt followed by the buttons of his jeans before they slid down his legs and onto the floor. She could feel his erection through his boxers and didn't think she could wait much longer.

"Jake" she moaned

He slid her denim skirt up her thighs and began to rub her through the thin material of her panties. Peyton thought she might explode.

"I need you now Jake" she pleaded pushing his boxers down his thighs.

Jake needed no more prompting. He shifted her panties to the side and entered her swiftly. In no time his thrusts grew harder and faster as they both kissed heatedly.

He felt Peyton nearing her orgasm and increased his movements while gently rubbing his thumb on her centre. She tightened around him and he felt her spasm while calling his name, a second later he found his own release.

She let herself down and kissed him sweetly on the lips. "That was amazing."

"Yeah. Unbelievable" he replied after putting his pants back on "I love you"

"God, I love you too Jake"


	13. Escaping

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or any of its characters.**

Haley had spent a week avoiding both the Scott brothers. She was upset about what had happened with Nathan, and she was angry with Lucas for telling Nathan everything without even consulting her. In fact, she was so angry that she had not answered Lucas' calls and had deleted all of his voice messages without even listening to them.

She had called Karen at the Café asking for time off and had also spoken to Deb about postponing all of Nathan's tutoring sessions until further notice.

The week was spent moping around her apartment, watching crappy daytime television, ordering in food and sleeping. Haley knew she was suffering from depression, but didn't know how to pull herself out of it. She had an appointment with her physician the day before for a check up and ultrasound. It was the only time she had left the house.

The doctor told her that he was a little concerned about her and the baby. Her stress levels had affected the baby's heartbeat which was slightly irregular. He recommended that she avoid stressful situations at all costs until the birth. She wasn't being put on bed rest oreven to stop working. Hher physical condition wasn't the problem, it was her emotional state.

When Haley had returned home that afternoon, she made a decision. She had to leave Tree Hill. Her life was a mess right now and there was no way to avoid the stress of seeing Nathan for the next 3 months if she stayed.

She had made a call to her aunt in Florida, asking if she could stay with her for a while, and then booked a coach ticket for the next day. She had also called her landlord and informed him of a family emergency that required her to end the lease early. He was very understanding and told her he would hold the apartment for her for a few months. Haley was thankful for this, she didn't want to have to worry about removalist and putting her things in storage right now.

Her bus wasn't scheduled to depart until late in the afternoon the next day, so she decided to pack in the morning. Organising the trip had been stressful and tired her out, so she called it quits for the day, following the doctors advice.

Her thoughts had once again turned to Nathan. This was really it. They were really over. She was moving on to a new life without him. Haley knew a lot of people wouldn't be happy about her decision. Lucas, Karen and Deb would be especially devastated that they wouldn't get to see her baby grow up, and for that she felt guilty. Even Brooke had started taking an active role in Haley's life, relishing the thought of becoming 'Aunt Brookie'. Peyton would also miss her deeply. But she had to do this for her baby. Her child was the only part of Nathan she had left, and she would protecther son or daughterat any cost. Besides, they would all go offto college next year and leave her anyway, so leaving them first wasn't so bad, was it?

That night Haley went to bed and had a restless, dreamless sleep.

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Nathan was going crazy! He hadn't seen or spoken to Haley since she had asked him to leave her apartment a week ago. His mother had told him that Haley called her wanting to postpone the tutoring sessions for a while.

He had tried calling her, but she wasn't answering her phone, and when he went to her apartment the door was locked and all the curtains closed. By the third day of not being able to contact her, Nathan figured she was avoiding him, still upset about their conversation. He decided to wait a week or so before going to see her again.

That had been only four days ago, and he couldn't take it any longer. Tomorrow morning he would go and see her, and make her talk to him. He was worried about her.

He spent the rest of the night wondering what to say to her. Trying to figure out how to get her to open up to him about whatever was bothering her so much. Eventually he fell asleep, dreaming once again of Haley.

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The next morning Lucas' was really starting to worry about his best friend. He hadn't heard from Haley in over a week. She didn't return any of his calls and it was starting to freak him out. He got out of bed and pulled on some sweats and a hoodie before going to see her.

After knocking on her front door for five minutes with no response, he decided it was time to use the spare key he knew she kept in a hanging pot plant. He turned the handle and slowly entered the apartment. It was quite dark with all the curtains closed. At first he thought he might have made a mistake, maybe she wasn't here, but then he heard movement in the bedroom.

He walked to the open bedroom doorway to see Haley placing some clothing into an almost full suitcase.

"Off to join the circus?" Lucas joked half heartedly, trying to hide the fear in his voice

Haley almost jumped out her skin. She hadn't heard Lucas come in and seeing as though the door was locked, she definitely hadn't expected visitors.

She looked at him and remembered why she was so angry at him.

"I knew I should have moved that spare key" she replied flatly

"What's going on Hales? Why haven't you answered my calls? Where are you going?" he asked with a note of desperation

"I've had enough Luke. I need to get out of here for a while. This whole situation is seriously fucked up!" she said raising her voice.

Lucas was taken aback. He had known Haley for years, and couldn't remember her swearing before. After the shock had warn off he had started to feel anger rising within him.

"So you're just gonna leave?" he yelled incredulously. "I can't believe you're doing this again Hales. Didn't you hurt enough people thelast time? Didn't you destroy your husband enough last time?" he practically screamed at her

"Don't you dare pull that shit with me Lucas. This is completely different. You can't throw that back in my face for the rest of my life. I need to do this. For me and the baby. I refuse to let you make me feel guilty." She yelled back

"I could maybe understand you needing to get away for a bit Hales, but that's not what I'm pissed off about. You weren't even going to tell me were you? You were going to sneak out of town without so much as an explanation or even a goodbye."

She was about to protest when he yelled at her "Don't lie to me Haley!"

After reeling back in shock from Lucas' intense outburst, Haley noticed a stunned and worried Nathan standing in the doorway.

"What the Hell is going on?" Nathan asked looking between the two

Lucas didn't even bother to look at him. Instead he stared straight at Haley before responding "Haley's leaving. But I guess I shouldn't be surprised. After allthat is what she does best. Right Hales?" he asked with venom in his voice. Shaking his head in frustration, Lucas continued "I've had enough of this shit. I'm outta here. Have a nice life" before walking outand slamming thefront door.

Nathan couldn't believe what he had just witnessed. He had heard the screaming and yelling from the street below and raced up the stairs to see what was happening. He had thought that maybe he and Lucas would end up in a fight, especially after the way Luke was screaming at Haley. But what he hadn't expected, was to find Haley with a suitcase, ready to leave Tree Hill. He had started to panic. Haley couldn't leave. He loved her.

"Haley?" he said softly. When she looked up at him, he asked "What's wrong? Why are you leaving?"

What was she supposed to say? 'You, Nathan. You're why I'm leaving. Being around you is hurting me and our baby?'

Instead she lied "You were right Nathan. The past is in the past and it's time to move on. I guess it's just best for everyone" she said looking towards her slightly swollen belly.

Nathan had been thinking about how upset she was about her and Lucas' separation, and wished he'd been able to help her deal with it better.

"Look. I can understand if it's difficult for you seeing Luke all the time. When he explained everything to me last week, he said that you had both agreed to the split, and that you were fine with him seeing Brooke. But I can see it's still difficult for you, Haley. It's gonna be hard, but I will help you deal with it. You're gonna be fine. You don't need to leave" he explained pleadingly

"What?" she asked stunned and slightly confused.

Then it dawned on her. Lucas hadn't told Nathan the truth. He had just changed the lie. She had beendevastated by last week's conversation with Nathan. It hadkilled her to think that he had been told the truth and still didn't want to be with her or their child. Now she knew it had all been a misunderstanding.Haley felt relief wash over her. Maybe there was still hope for them yet.

Even though Haley was slightly angry with Lucas for causing the misunderstanding in the first place, and for the way he treated her earlier,her heart swelled with love for her best friend. He had only been trying to look out for her and this was going to make her 'relationship' with Nathan a lot less complicated. It would make all their lives less complicated.

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Nathan was beyond panicked now. Haley was really going to leave. She couldn't do that. He wouldn't let her. He loved her.

"You can't leave. I love you" he stated passionately, looking into her eyes. After she stared at him in silence for a few moments he said with even moredevotion "I'm in love with you Haley!."


	14. Love, omelettes and a damned frying pan

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or any of its characters.**

_**Authors Note: So here it is guys. NALEY GOODNESS! You've all been so patient waiting for this to come, so I hope you enjoy it. **_**_Please review because I really do appreciate your comments and advice._**

"I'm in love with you Haley"

After Nathan made his confession, Haley felt all sense of control leave mind and her body. She quickly moved towards him, throwing her arms around his neck, pulling him down into a passionate kiss. His arms encircled her waist pulling her closer to him without placing too much pressure on her stomach.

This time it was Haley's tongue that sought entrance to Nathan's mouth. He willingly complied. There was so much need and want in both of them. She moved her hands down over the front of his polo shirt until they reached the bottom and slipped underneath the shirt and moved up his back.

Nathan couldn't believe how much her touch affected him. The feeling of her tiny hands on his back felt so sensuous and erotic. When she removed them from underneath the fabric, he immediately missed her touch and longed to feel her again. However he soon felt her grabbing the hem of the shirt and quickly pulling it up and over his head. Soon her hands were roaming all over his perfectly sculpted chest. She broke the heated kiss and nibbled her way down his neck, before placing hot wet kisses on his chest and stomach. He wanted to feel more of her so he pulled her away for a moment before removing and discarding her tank top hastily.

Nathan was pleased to see that she had not been wearing a bra, and the sudden rush of cool ear had made her nipples erect. He pulled her back to him, leaning down to take a nipple in his mouth. Haley moaned at the contact. She was in absolute rapture. He kneaded her other breast with one hand while the other was held firmly behind her supporting her as her head fell back and she arched into him.

She pulled his face back up to her and kissed him hungrily once again. Her hands made their way down to the band zipper of his jeans. She slipped her small hand past the zipper and stroked his erection through the silk material of his boxers, delighting in the moans this action was eliciting from him. Much to Nathan's displeasure, she withdrew her warm hand. She quickly undid the button of his jeans and they fell to the floor. Nathan stepped out of them and kicked them away.

Haley reached for the buttons on her own black pants, but was quickly stopped by Nathan's hand.

"No. Let me do it" he said huskily

He knelt down before her and undid the first button. Haley was loving every moment of this, and was pleasantly surprised when he started placing gentle kisses all over her swollen stomach while undoing the rest of her buttons. He pulled the pants down her legs and she stepped out of them. Instead of standing up to meet her again, Nathan continued kneeling and carefully stroked her stomach, placing a few more kisses there. She ran her hands through his hair and it drove him crazy.

He slowly stood up again and looked into her eyes. He was amazed by how many emotions he could see in them. There was lust, passion, sincerity and love. His heart rejoiced knowing that even though she may not have told him so, she loved him too. Nathan felt Haley's hands on his waist and closed his eyes as she began pushing his boxers down his thighs before they fell to the floor.

He pulled her into another searing kiss and backed them up to the bed. The suitcase was quickly shoved off the end of the bed, it's contents scattered all over the floor. He gently laid her down, supporting his weight with his arms while being careful not to place pressure on her stomach. They still had not broken the kiss. He felt Haley's hands skim down his back and over his buttocks before moving to his front where she grazed past his erection making him shiver.

Nathan slowly travelled down her body, placing kisses along her breasts and stomach continuing to the band of her panties. He hooked his thumbs on each side and pulled them down her legs before throwing them across the room. He began to kiss her foot and travelled up her calf before reaching her inner thigh. Haley knew what was coming and the anticipation was killing her. Finally she felt the first flick of his tongue on her. It was slow and gentle at first as he licked and placed sensuous kisses on her centre, but as she neared climax she began to arch herself up to him and her breathing became heavy. Her hands were running through his hair as her orgasm went through her. When he felt her shudder, Nathan knew she had come.

Haley lay silent, still riding the waves of her orgasm. Nathan stood and watched her laying there with a smile plastered across her face. God she was beautiful. She opened her eyes to see him watching her with a smile.

She held her hand out to him and said "Come here".

He was once again above her resting on his arms, looking into her eyes. She stroked his cheek before pulling him down into a sweet kiss. The kiss soon deepened and neither could wait any longer. Haley wrapped her legs around his waist and Nathan guided himself to her entrance. Before he entered her, Nathan looked into her eyes, silently asking permission. She smiled and kissed him before whispering "I love you, Nate".

His thrusts were slow and gentle, before gradually increasing as their passion grew. He had never felt anything like this… like making love to her. Even the dream he had weeks ago paled in comparison to the real thing.

Haley was in ecstasy. She had missed him. She had missed his body and the way he made love to her. He may not remember making love to her before, but he was exactly the same as she remembered. It's like he didn't need to remember. Their souls were connected and told their bodies exactly what to do.

Haley was surprised when Nathan suddenly stopped. She opened her eyes and looked into his questioningly. He looked down at her stomach and said timidly "I… I don't want to do anything wrong".

She smiled at his concern. "It's ok. You're not going to hurt the baby"

He started moving inside her again, but with less intensity. She had her hand on his back and could feel how tense he was. His thrusts were slow and gentle, but unlike before he wasn't increasing his pace.

Haley could see Nathan was still holding back out of fear of hurting her or the baby, so she decided to take action. She grabbed his shoulders and rolled them over so that she was straddling him.

After seeing the surprise on his face, she stated softly "I know you're worried about hurting me or hurting the baby." Nathan nodded in agreement. "This way I'm in control and you can sit back and enjoy the ride" she said in a sexy voice. Nathan was amazed at how this woman could drive him wild. He knew she was right, and now he could let go and enjoy it.

Nathan and Haley made love several times before falling into a deep peaceful slumber.

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Nathan woke up the next morning spooning Haley with his hand placed protectively over her stomach. He opened his eyes and smiled when he realised where he was and remembered the events of last night. He lay there for a few minutes before deciding to get up and make some breakfast. Haley was bound to be famished when she woke up.

He found his clothes which were strewn across the bedroom floor and got dressed before walking into the kitchen and checking the fridge to see what he could make them to eat. Haley had all the ingredients for a great omelette except for the milk, so he decided he would quickly slip out and buy some from the store down the road. He went back into the bedroom and put his shoes on before writing Haley a note and placing it on the kitchen counter and leaving the apartment.

Haley woke up and reached out to Nathan, but she soon found that he wasn't there. She quickly opened her eyes and sat up looking at the empty space beside her. Had last night really happened or was it just a dream. Haley started to panic. Maybe Nathan had woken up and regretted it. Realised he had made a mistake. Haley got out of bed and put on her robe before making her way into the living are to search for any sign of Nathan. To her relief she quickly spotted his note on the counter.

_Haley,_

_Decided to make us breakfast. I'm sure you're starving after last night. Wink. Wink._

_Gone to the shops. Be back soon._

_Nathan_

_P.S. I love you_

Haley couldn't help the smile that crept across her face. He loved her. She put the note down and made her way to the bathroom, deciding to have a quick shower while he was out.

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Nathan entered the apartment and once again heard her singing in the shower and decided to get started on the food, so that it would be ready by the time she got dressed. He looked around the kitchen realising he didn't know where anything was. He was going to have hunt through the cupboards. All he needed was a non-stick frypan, a spatula, a decent knife and a chopping board. His omelettes were pretty easy to make. They had to be because they were practically the only thing he knew how to cook.

He searched a few cupboards and found everything but the frying pan. He moved to the end cupboard and spotted the frying pan towards the back. He grabbed the handle and pulled gently, but it appeared to be stuck behind some other pots. Nathan opened the door next to it and began taking out the pots so that he could get to it. The first pot fell forward to the floor, followed closely by another. Nathan cursed at the noise he was making. Then he realised that a small shoebox had slid out of the cupboard. Thinking it was weird to keep a shoebox amongst all these pots and pans, Nathan's curiosity got the better of him and he opened the lid to see a whole bunch of photos.

He gasped when he saw the picture that was sitting on top of the pile. It was of Nathan and Haley at a beach. He was wearing a black suit and she was wearing a simple white dress.

He turned the photo over to find it had two words written on the back.

'_Our Wedding'_


	15. Betrayal

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or any of it's characters.**

_**Author's Note: I just want to send out a big thank you to everyone who has been submitting reviews. I appreciate your thoughts and it really motivates me to keep writing and put up more chapters.**_

Nathan was beyond shocked. He had just spent an amazing few hours making love to a beautiful woman who he thought was his tutor. Everything had been perfect, and now, here he was on his hands and knees searching for a damned frying pan, but instead finding a wedding photo of him and Haley? What the fuck was going on?

Maybe it's just a picture from Haley and Lucas' wedding. Yeah that's it. Right? Then why did he and Haley look like a young couple in love in that photo. He dropped it on the floor and began rummaging through the rest of the pictures. Nearly all of them were of him and Haley. They looked like the perfect couple, smiling at each other or into the camera. Nathan's confusion was rapidly turning into anger.

Had everyone been lying to him? What was this? Some sick practical joke. Let's see if we can get one up on the 'amnesia guy'. He had no idea what was real and what was a lie. He felt as though he might pass out due to the whirlwind of thoughts in his head.

Haley exited the bathroom and was making her way to the bedroom to get dressed, when she noticed food on the bench. "You're back. I was hoping you wouldn't take too long. I'm absolutely starving." She yelled out from her room.

When she got no reply, she walked back into the kitchen to see Nathan on his hands and knees amongst some pots and pans.

"Well, if it isn't my very own Jamie Oliver" she laughed.

Nathan was still staring at the pictures barely registering that she was in the room. Haley couldn't see what he was doing, but she was starting to worry when he still didn't answer.

She walked closer and put her hand gently on his shoulder. Nathan flinched and turned to look at her. Haley was taken aback by the dark look in his eyes. She remembered this look, and it wasn't good.

"Nathan… Nate, what's wrong?"

He stood up and stared at her with a cold, hardened expression. "I'm not sure Haley. That's what I'm trying to figure out"

"I don't know what you're talking about Nathan. What happened?" she asked timidly

Then she saw it. She saw their wedding photo in his hand and as he stepped forward she could see her box of photos on the floor.

"What the fuck is this Haley?"

"Look. Nate, please just calm down ok. I can explain everything." She pleaded.

"Calm down? I have spent the last couple of months trying to put my life and my memories together. To put back the pieces of a puzzle that doesn't make any sense to me. And now I find out that everyone's giving me the wrong pieces. Everyone has been lying to me!."

He looked away for a moment. When he looked back at her, his face no longer showed anger, instead she could only see hurt and betrayal. "You lied to me Haley" he whispered shakily.

Haley had hoped that one day he would find out. She believed that would be part of the process of him regaining his memory. But she never thought it would happen like this. She couldn't imagine how confused and scared he must be.

"I know you must be confused right now Nathan. I'm sorry you had to find out this way. I can explain everything to you if you'll just let me." She said softly taking a step towards him "Please, Nate."

"Just answer me one thing Haley" he said

She nodded.

He lifted the wedding photo up for her to look at. "Are we married? Are you my wife? Did we stand before god and recite vows to be together 'till death do us part?"

Haley was about to respond when he continued in an icy tone "Tell me Haley, was there anything in those vows about honesty and trust?"

She didn't know what to say. He was right. She had gone against her instincts and her heart playing along with his family and their ridiculous lie. Although she had only been trying to do the right thing, she had betrayed him.

"I'm sorry" she said as the tears began to fall.

He felt a tinge of regret upon seeing her cry, but he could feel his angel boiling out of control.

"Some wife you are." He spat hatefully as he grabbed his keys and wallet from the counter top and walked towards the door. He turned back to look at her coolly "You know what Haley. I'm glad I don't remember our life together, because it will be that much easier to forget you as soon as I walk out this door."

Haley felt her knees buckle as she fell to the floor sobbing hysterically.

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Nathan drove aimlessly around tree hill with his rap music blaring, just trying to get himself together. After almost an hour he pulled into a space near the river and got out for a walk to clear his head. He ended up at the docks and took a seat at a picnic table right by the water. He felt a sense of déjà vu, but that wasn't uncommon for him these days.

He was trying to figure out what to do next. Nathan had no idea how to handle the situation. He just found out he is married and expecting a child. He had been so irate about finding out about him and Haley that he hadn't even thought about the baby until after he left.

His thoughts shifted to a sobbing Haley, and his anger dissipated somewhat. Even though she had lied to him and betrayed his trust, he couldn't help the feelings he had developed for her. So he decided it was best to go and talk it out with her. He at least owed her that. He owed her the chance to explain.

And out of all the millions of questions he needed answers to, there was one that only Haley could give him. Was it his baby? He knew it may seem offensive to even ask, but he didn't really know this girl. He thought he could trust her, but she had been lying to him. Who knows how many other things she had been lying about now, and even back before the accident when he lost his memory. Maybe Haley James wasn't the girl he thought she was.

Haley had spent about 10 minutes on the floor shaking and sobbing before she heard her cell phone. She slowly stood up, pulled herself together and answered it.

"Hello?" she said in her calmest voice possible

"Haley dear. It's your Aunt Rosie. I was just ringing to confirm what time your bus is scheduled to arrive. I don't want you stuck at the station waiting for me to pick you up."

Haley's day had taken such a drastic turn that she had forgotten what she was doing before Lucas and Nathan had showed up so early that morning. She looked at her suitcase on the floor surrounded by clothes. Then she looked at her alarm clock. It was almost 1pm. She still had time.

"Hi Rosie. Um.. the bus is leaving at 2pm and it is scheduled to arrive at 8:15pm. If anything changes, I will let you know."

"Ok baby. Well I guess I'll be seeing you tonight then. I'm so excited. See you later. I love you." Her Aunt said

"Love you too" Haley choked out before ending the call.

Through her tears, Haley managed to get dressed and repack her suitcase. God. So much had changed in a few hours. This morning she was leaving tree hill, no doubt about it. Then Nathan had come to her, declaring his love and begging hr not to leave. It was then that she had decided to stay. But she had been stupid. Even if he hadn't found out the truth that morning and in that way, he would have found out somehow and his reaction would probably have been the same. She didn't blame him. How could she expect him to forgive her and still love her when at that moment, Haley didn't even love herself.

Haley had just one more phone call to make. She needed to speak to Lucas, but after dialling his number it went straight to voicemail. She decided not to leave a message, but wrote him a letter instead.

She placed the letter in an envelope with his name and left it on the counter.

After packing her most important and treasured items, she gathered her luggage and waited outside for the cab she had booked last night to take her to the bus station.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nathan got in his car and drove towards the apartment. He wasn't even sure what he was going to say, but he knew he had to talk to Haley. If she would even let him in, that is. He had said some hurtful things to her earlier, things he wished that he could take back. But he had to get Haley to talk to him. There were some important things they needed to discuss. He needed her to tell him the truth about their relationship, their marriage. Were they in love? Is he the father of her baby? And if he is, is that why they got married? Would she tell him the truth anyway? Nathan had definitely fallen for her, but at that point he wasn't sure if he trusted her.

He pulled up out the front of the apartment complex and ran up the stairs. He knocked on the door, but there was no answer. He called out to her but there was still no answer. Nathan searched for a key. He tried the usual places like under the mat, above the door and under the two pot plants on either side of the door, but he had no luck. The he noticed the hanging plant and reached up to feel for a key.

"Yes" he said victoriously

He unlocked and opened the door and immediately noticed how eerily quiet the apartment was. He headed towards the bedroom, checking the bathroom quickly on his way. Nope. No Haley. He entered her room to find it nothing like the way he remembered it this morning. There were no clothes strewn across the floor and the bed had been stripped. He held in his breath and opened the wardrobe. It was almost empty. He also noticed the suitcase was gone. His fears were confirmed. Haley was gone.

"Shit!" he screamed as he kicked the bed.

"Motherfucker!" Nathan yelled. He was so angry with himself for losing it at Haley earlier. He had completely forgotten she had been planning on leaving town, and then he had gone and verbally attacked her. Of course she had left. He felt sick.

Nathan slowly exited her room and as he walked towards the front door, he noticed an envelope on the counter. It was addressed to Luke, but at that point Nathan didn't care. He would pass the letter onto Luke, but first he needed to know what it said.

He opened the envelope with shaky hands and read carefully.

_Dear Luke_

_I know you probably don't want to have anything to do with me right now, but I just want you to know that you were right. It would be wrong of me to leave without saying goodbye, so here it is. _

_I love you so much, and I wish I didn't have to go, but I do. I hope you will miss me because I know I am going to miss you like crazy. I'll drop you a line sometime to let you know how I'm doing, and I will keep my cell phone number and check my messages just in case you ever need to contact me. Please say goodbye to all of our friends for me, and let them know that I love them very much. Especially Karen who has always been like a mother to me._

_I know I have no right to ask, but I'm hoping you'll do me a favour anyway. I haven't had a chance to organise anything with the apartment. I wasn't planning on leaving for good, but things changed and I really don't see myself coming back. If you could get in contact with the landlord, I would really appreciate it. He said he would hold the apartment for me for a couple of months, but I really don't think I'll be back. I don't care what happens to the furniture etc and I've taken everything that's important to me. _

_Yeah right! Who am I trying to kid? The one thing that meant the world to me, I have to leave behind. Nathan was my world, but that's over now. I know I can't ever have him back, so I'm leaving with the last part of him I get to keep. Our baby. I hope you understand that I have to do this. I'm sorry. Just know that we will be safe. My child may not have a father, but as you know, a mother's love can be more than enough. _

_Please look after Nathan for me. I don't blame him for any of this and you know how much I love him. I will always love him. Always and Forever._

_With love, _

_Haley_

_P.S. Good luck at College. I know you are going to do great no matter where you go. Who knows, maybe one day I'll get to go too!. Follow your heart Luke, because in the end, your happiness is all that matters._


	16. Goodbye Tree Hill, Hello Florida

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or any of its characters.**

**_Author's Note: I just want to say that your reviews have been awesome. I love that a lot of you get the story and what I'm trying to do with the characters. I know it's very angsty and not always as happy as some would like, but that's just the way I write. It's probably going to be a very long story with many twists and turns, so don't expect happy Naley-ness all the time. There will be times when some of you will want to tear my eyes out in frustration (believe me, even I frustrate myself with the little misunderstandings and little mix-ups I put in the plot line), but I know they make for good reading and they always make me come back for more! Anyway, thank you so much for your encouraging words._**

Peyton and Jake had spent the last week in total seclusion. No one knew of Jake's return and that was fine with them as it meant more time to spend alone. Their time had been spent simply enjoying each others company. They would cook meals together, watch movies, talk and of course, make love. But there was one conversation both had been avoiding. What did the future hold for the young couple?

"Peyt?" Jake asked softly as they lay together in her bed after another wonderful afternoon of love making.

"mmm" she sighed.

"I know you don't want to, but we really need to talk about what where we stand. As a couple, I mean" he said tentatively

"No" she whined. "Tomorrow. Tonight I just wanna be here with you and not worry about anything"

Jake sat up slightly and lifted her chin so that she was looking at him.

"That's what we said yesterday." He said seriously. "I left Savannah over a week ago. I have to decide I'm doing next. We have to decide what we're doing next, Peyt"

"You're right" she said sitting herself up to rest against the head of the bed. "All I know is that I don't wanna lose you again, Jake. You and Jenny are the most important things in my life. I love you both" she said with heartfelt sincerity. It wasn't always easy for Peyton to open herself up like that, and Jake knew this.

"I was hoping you would say that" Jake responded kissing her gently "I was also kind of hoping that maybe me and Jenny could stay here with you for a while. Just until I find a place"

"You mean it? You're coming back for real?" asked Peyton excitedly

"Yeah. Now that Nikki's disappeared again, I have full custody of Jenny. Nikki's parents are happy with holiday visitation, so there's nothing stopping me." He said with a grin "And there's nowhere else I'd rather be"

Peyton was giddy. She couldn't wipe the stupid smile off her face, but then it fell. She remembered the last time she and Jake had started making plans back in Savannah, when he had told her that she was still in love Luke.

Peyton knows that she isn't, but does Jake? Does he truly understand that he is the love of her life, and there is no one else for her?

"What's wrong baby?" he asked noticing her sudden change

"It's just… Last time in Savannah, I was so happy and I thought we were going to be together forever, but it ended. It just ended, Jake. I can't stand that happening again. I need to make sure you know that you are it for me. You're the love of my life. Do you understand that?" she asked as the tears began to fall.

"Don't cry baby. I do understand. After I heard you talking in your sleep, I knew that it was probably nothing to worry about, but I had to guard my heart, and Jenny's. I had to make sure we weren't making a mistake. We let each other go and then found our way back. Now we know that we truly belong together"

"I really believe that Jake, that we belong together. I don't want to ever be apart again for as long as we live" she said breathlessly

"Me either, Peyt. I wanna spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?" Jake asked looking into his lovers eyes.

"Are you sure?"

"I want you to be my wife Peyton. I want to you be Jenny's mother. I want us to be a family" he assured her

She looked at him lovingly and responded "Yes. Of course I'll marry you" she said before kissing him fervently.

The couple were both so happy that they had found one another again and knew this time, they would not let go. The rest of the evening was spent making passionate love.

* * *

Haley was relieved that the bus was almost empty. She couldn't handle the thought of having to spend over six hours on a cramped bus sitting next to god knows who. She relished the time alone with her thoughts as through the window she watched the countryside fly by.

As terrifying as starting a new life was, and as painful as it was to leave her old one behind, Haley knew she had made the right choice. Maybe it wasn't the right choice for her, or maybe not even for Nathan, because she wished that she could be there to help him deal with the mess his life has become, but it was definitely right the choice for their unborn child.

She decided to try to sleep through the rest of the trip. It had been a very stressful morning and she was exhausted. Closing her eyes, Haley started dreaming of the life she could have had. The life she and Nathan should have had, before that fateful accident on their wedding day ruined their lives forever.

Lucas felt her soft hands gently stroking his cheek and he looked up to see the concerned eyes of his beautiful girlfriend.

"Thank you Brooke." He whispered softly

"It's my pleasure Broody" she responded warmly

After his earlier confrontation with Haley, Lucas had gone home to an empty house. He was going crazy, thinking about what he had said to Haley, and even more so about the fact that he may have lost his friend for good this time. He picked up his cell and rang the one person he knew could give him the comfort he needed.

When Brooke arrived and walked through his bedroom door, she was shocked to see Lucas lying on his bed crying. It was no secret that Lucas was the sensitive, brooding type, hence the nickname, but he rarely cried. She had immediate gone to him and pulled him into the strong, loving embrace. After his sobbing subsided, Lucas had fallen asleep with his head in her lap. Brooke still had no idea why her boyfriend was so upset, but she knew he would talk about it when he was ready. She stayed with him for hours, eventually falling asleep herself.

After they had both awoken, Lucas explained what had happened with Haley. Brooke couldn't believe that Haley was actually leaving… again. And had planned to do so without saying goodbye… again. Even though she was beyond angry with her friend, she could also understand why Haley felt the need to leave. She had, on more than one occasion, wondered how Haley dealt with her new reality. How she dealt with seeing Nathan on a daily basis.

Brooke was also hurt and upset about Haley's departure, but she knew it was nothing compared to the pain and anguish Lucas' must be going through.

Lucas lifted his head from her lap and sat up next to her. She smile at him warmly, trying to give as much comfort and support as she knew how. He leaned in and kissed her gently before pulling back and looking into her eyes.

"I love you" he stated barely above a whisper. "You are one of the most amazing people I've ever met. I just want you to know that"

"I love you too" she responded with a tear escaping down her cheek. She knew Lucas was hurting, and right now she knew the best comfort she could offer was herself. "Make love to me Lucas"

Lucas knew what she was doing and he loved her more for it. They lost themselves in each other that afternoon. No one and nothing else existed but them. That's why they didn't hear Nathan's tapping or notice Haley's letter slide under the door.

* * *

Nathan had read that letter over and over again. He couldn't believe that she was actually gone. The worse thing was that he knew he had no way of finding her. If she was going to confide in anyone, it would have been Lucas, but she hadn't, and now she lost to him.

He had lain on her bed, where they made love earlier that day, and sobbed. Why was it in his nature to erupt so quickly and react so angrily to any situation in which he didn't have absolute control? Of course he knew he had a right to be angry with Haley and with everyone else, but had no right to treat her so badly.

It made him sick when he though of the last words he spoke to her, possibly the last he would ever speak to her.

"_You know what Haley. I'm glad I don't remember our life together, because it will be that much easier to forget you as soon as I walk out this door."_

He hadn't meant it. He knew he wouldn't forget her. Couldn't forget her. That was obvious by the situation he was in.

From the moment he had met her that day in his backyard, he had felt it. He had felt it when he touched her and when he looked into her eyes. God, he even dreamt about her. For whatever reason, everyone had led him to believe that his only relationship with her over the last few missing years, was as student and tutor. He had no idea that they were actually husband and wife, yet he was inexplicably drawn to the beautiful girl with the large brown eyes. Even with his memories lost, and lies all around him, his soul hadn't let him forget her.

He knew he wouldn't be able to just move on and be happy. Not knowing she was out there. Not knowing his child was out there And not with her memory imprinted on his soul. Because that's what it felt like. Haley was his soul mate.

Nathan eventually pulled himself together and delivered her letter to Lucas. He had knocked on Luke's door softly with no response. He was actually grateful for that. Nathan had decided not to let anyone know that he had found out about their deception. He needed to find out the truth, and he would find it his way. That way there was no chance for them to come up with any more lies.

* * *

Haley woke up as the bus pulled to into it's last stop. She grabbed her guitar from the seat next to her and exited the bus. Just as the driver had given Haley her luggage, she heard Her Aunt's voice calling her. Turning around she saw the beautiful woman running towards her before enveloping her in a bear hug.

Haley looked at the woman before her. They actually looked a lot alike. Some might even mistake them for mother and daughter.

"Oh Haley. It's so good to see you. I've missed you." She said happily

Haley had missed her Aunt too. Rosie had always been her favourite relative. She was smart, caring, beautiful and just a little crazy. She was a bit of a hippy just like Jimmy and Lydia James and ran a health food café. She lived in a beautiful house hidden away in the bush next to a breathtakingly beautiful river. She loved living in and being one with nature.

"I've missed you too Rosie. Thanks for having me stay with you" she said with a genuine smile

"It's all my pleasure darlin'. Now let's get you home and unpacked. We have a lot of catching up to do" Rosie said looking at Haley's protruding stomach. It was then that Haley realised that her Aunt didn't even know about her pregnancy, or her marriage or anything that had happened since the accident.

"Yeah I guess we do" she said softly.

* * *

Later that night after Brooke had left, Lucas found and read Haley's letter. It confirmed his fears… Haley had indeed left Tree Hill. With his girlfriend gone, he slowly walked out of his room to the living area where he found his mother. She saw his heartbroken face and red puffy eyes and pulled him to her.

"Luke. What's wrong?" she asked soothingly

"Haley." He choked out. "She's gone again"

They hugged for a few minutes before sitting at the table while Karen read Haley's letter. She too now had tears in her eyes. Haley had been like a daughter to her for years. Karen was worried for Haley, but knew she wouldn't put herself or her baby in any danger. All they could hope was that she would realise her mistake and come home soon.

After Haley had unpacked her belonging in her new room, she joined Rosie in the kitchen where she had prepared some herbal tea and biscuits.

"Now my dear little Haley-bub. I can see you've got a lot to tell me, so why don't you start from the beginning"

Haley explained everything to her, from her first meeting and falling in love with Nathan, to their marriage, her tour in New York, their reconciliation, their second wedding day, the accident and the current situation back in Tree Hill.

Rosie listened in stunned silence as her niece recounted the events of the last couple of years. Haley had always been the strong one of the James Clan, but it killed her to see that Haley had had to endure so much for someone so young.

Haley felt so much better after pouring her heart out to someone removed from the situation. It almost felt like a cleansing that she needed to partake in so that she could now move on with her life. She almost felt a little refreshed.

They went to her Aunt's Café, which was funnily enough called 'Rosie's Café' for dinner. It reminded her of Karen's Café, and at first she was slightly put off by having a constant reminder of home, but then she felt more like it would be a comfort.

"Now Haley, I have organised for you to work here. I know you used to work for Lucas' mom, and I'm sure you can handle yourself here. No use looking for work elsewhere, when there's a perfectly good paying job right in front of your nose"

"Thank you Rosie. I really appreciate it. I'm going to need to save money to support this little one" Haley said rubbing her swollen belly.

"Jayden! Get your fine little booty out here" Rosie yelled out towards the kitchen

Within seconds someone a man was approaching them. Haley could only assume that it was Jayden, and that he was Rosie's chef.

"Jayden. I'd like you to meet my favourite niece, Haley. Haley, this is my favourite chef Jayden"

"It's nice to meet you Haley" Jayden said offering his hand

Haley shook it replying "Good to meet you too". She couldn't help noticing just how attractive this man was. He was tall, probably a little taller than Nathan, she thought to herself. He had eyes the colour of dark chocolate and pink pouty lips. His hear looked to be a dark brown colour, but it had been shaved fairly short, so she couldn't be sure.

Haley realised she was staring, and by the smirk on Jayden's face, so had he. Wanting the floor to open up and swallow her whole, Haley quickly looked away.

"So, what can I get you two beautiful ladies tonight?" he asked with a charm and charisma that was so totally familiar to her. It had 'Nathan' written all over it. 'Great' Haley thought to herself. Now she would have to work alongside a walking, talking reminder of her husband. 'That's just what I need' Haley thought sarcastically.


	17. Moving on ?

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or any of its characters.**

**_Author's note: I just want to give a little background info on some of the characters. Up until today, I hadn't seen all of the Season 3 finale. I live in Australia and the show doesn't air here, so I had to wait to see a copy of it. So basically, I didn't know that Karen was pregnant, or that Brooke or Rachel might be. So… In my little Naley-verse, no one was pregnant besides Haley. Also, I didn't know that Deb had confessed to Dan, so I apologise that there is nothing about that development either. And as for what happened to Rachel and Cooper… well I never really thought about it because to be honest, I don't care that much. Sorry if any of you are huge fans of those two. Let's just pretend for this little fic that they both escaped the accident and left town. If you have questions, just ask me. Thanks _**

_**P.S. Thanks for the great reviews. I can't believe what a positive response this story is getting!**_

It was been six weeks since Haley left Tree Hill. No one had been able to find or contact her, and she hadn't contacted them. Nathan and Lucas had teamed up to try and find her. They contacted her parents, who said although they sympathized with the boys, they had to respect their daughter's wishes. And Haley's wish was to disappear from her life in Tree Hill. Lucas had attempted to get in touch with Taylor, Haley's wild child, older sister, hoping she might help them out, but her whereabouts had been as elusive as Haley's.

After a month of searching and exhausting every possible resource, the Scott brothers had come to the realization that they would only see Haley, if she decided to contact them. They had both taken her departure really hard. Luke missed his best friend and hated the way they had left things. It pained him knowing the horrible way he had treated her during their final meeting. Nathan felt the same way. He felt so guilty for the last words he spoke to her. Now she was gone and so was his child.

But both men were attempting to start their new lives. They were attending college at UNC with classes beginning two weeks earlier and Nathan's first game playing for the UNC Tar Heels basketball team was later that evening. It was just the distraction they needed to keep their minds off the missing girl.

* * *

Haley was exhausted. She had just finished her closing shift at Rosie's Café, and now at 6 months pregnant, 7 hours on her feet felt like a lifetime. She sat in a booth with her feet propped up waiting for Jayden to bring her some dinner. They had become really good friends and had offered to fix something for them both to eat before driving her home to Rosie's house. Jayden had really surprised her. Upon first appearance, Haley thought he would be a bit arrogant, and with his tattoos he had the whole bad boy look going on, but he was just a softie.

As always, when left alone, Haley's thoughts wandered to Tree Hill. She thought about how everyone was doing. She knew that people would be upset with her for leaving, but hoped that they would have realized why she did and also that she was gone for good, prompting them to move on with their lives. Mostly she thought of Nathan. She had tried so hard to put him in the back of her mind, and a great deal of the time she could, but then there were quiet times like this, or unavoidable reminders like their baby kicking, that would bring his memory back to the forefront of her mind.

Haley realized how stupid she had been in thinking that she and Nathan could have a relationship after the accident and his subsequent memory loss. It was ridiculous to think things could ever be the same. It would have been a betrayal of their love. Nathan wasn't the same person anymore. In Haley's mind, there were now two Nathans. One was her husband, who was gone. And then there was the new Nathan, the man that was still in Tree Hill. With this new Nathan, it wasn't love. She was just clinging to what was left of her old life.

The difference between the two was enormous. All Haley had to do was think of the last words each of them had spoken to her. When her husband had looked at her on that bridge and said 'I love you' before jumping into the water, it had broken her heart to know she may lose him. Whereas, the last words she heard from the new Nathan had broken her heart for completely different reasons. His words were vicious and made her realize that their morning spent together had been a lie. No matter how much she wanted her life back, she could never have it with him. He didn't love her, and she didn't love him. Well that's what she told herself anyway. It was all just a way for her subconscious to justify her decision, and she truly believed it.

"Here you are gorgeous".

Haley was broken from her silent reverie when Jayden reached the booth with their meals. He was an amazing chef and managed to make everything taste special. He had made himself a healthy pumpkin and fetta pasta, while Haley had a vegetarian frittata. She glanced at the food before them which looked amazing and smelt even better.

"Thanks Jayd. We're starving" she laughed rubbing her now obvious pregnant belly.

"Anything for you Hales" he said looking intensely into her eyes.

Haley knew Jayden had feelings for her. It was pretty harmless, and she was sure he wouldn't act on it without her giving him a sign to do so, but she always felt slightly uncomfortable when he looked at her like that and used her nickname.

She tried to lighten the mood by saying "Well then, I suppose you won't mind coming over tonight to help paint the Nursery." She said with a smirk

"I walked straight into that one, didn't I?" he groaned

Haley just laughed. That was something she loved about Jayden. He could always make her smile and laugh. Genuine smiles and real full bellied laughs. It was nice to be that way. It had been far too long.

* * *

The Tar Heels first game loss had been such a blow to Nathan. He had desperately needed a victory to lift his spirits and help him forget about all the shit that had happened with Haley. He had also wanted to forget about all the questions he had in his mind about his missing memories. Nathan still hadn't told anyone about his discovery. At first he was determined to find out the truth, but had quickly been sidetracked while trying to locate Haley. Then, after he realized she was gone for good, he decided to leave it. Maybe this lie they had created for him was just what he needed. If he didn't remember his past with her, then he could move on. Right?

Nathan was the last player to exit the locker rooms and made his way over the gym doors. Outside waiting for him were Lucas, Brooke, Peyton and Jake. The five had arranged to go for dinner after the game, hoping it would be a celebration. Unfortunately, it now seemed they would be consoling their friend instead. So the four friends were more than surprised to see a cheerful Nathan emerge from the gym.

"Hey man. Sorry about the game" Lucas said cautiously, knowing Nathan's moods to be anything but stable of late. He had been withdrawn and solemn ever since Haley left.

Nathan laughed "Geez guys. It's not like someone died! We lost. No biggie. We'll win next week. Besides, tonight I get to have dinner with my best friends and then hit on loads of hot chicks at the after party later." He said with the famous Nathan Scott smirk.

Brooke playfully swatted his arm while exclaiming "Uh… Perv!".

* * *

At dinner, everyone seemed to be enjoying Nathan's newfound happiness and enthusiasm. Everyone except Lucas. He didn't buy it. Not at all. He was terrified that Nathan would revert back to being the cocky, selfish, womanizing brat he was when Lucas first joined the Tree Hill Ravens. He couldn't stand to see that happen, not after everything Nathan had done to leave that guy behind. Not after everything Haley had done to help him.

Once finishing their meals, they headed off to the after party which was being held in Nathan and Lucas' dorm at UNC. Jake went in Lucas' car because Brooke and Peyton wanted to catch up alone for a while. The two best friends had decided to work things out after their disastrous fight. It had taken them over two months, but after Peyton had explained her feelings to Brooke about Jake and how she had been stupid to think she was still in love with Lucas, they had eventually managed to get their friendship back on track. This was something everyone was grateful for.

Nathan jumped in his knew mustang that Dan had given him as a 'going away to college' present. He knew Dan was trying to replace actual love and parenting with a flashy gift, but he needed a car and decided he deserved it after he had worked his ass off to pass his exams so that he could go to college with his friends. Nathan's good mood was all an act, and as soon as he left the car park, a scowl returned to his face. He was sick of feeling like this… sick of missing Haley and knowing he was missing out on being a father. It's definitely not what Nathan would have planned for himself, I mean getting married at 16 and becoming a father at 18? Not likely to be any teenage boys fantasy, but apparently it had been his. Jake seemed to manage ok with Jenny, so Nathan couldn't help but think that he would have been a decent father to his child. Now he'd never know. And it was Haley who had taken that chance away from him. His anger grew.

By the time Nathan reached the party, he was so furious with Haley, with his friends and family and even himself that something inside him snapped. He couldn't keep going this way. So he was going to do anything and everything to forget and move on. Tonight that meant booze and women. The alcohol would drown everything out and the women would… well he just needed to get laid.

* * *

"So Haley. I can't help noticing that you've chosen blue for the nursery walls. Does this mean that you're having a boy?" Jayden asked with a smirk. He had been trying to figure out the sex of the baby for weeks, but Haley wasn't giving him anything. He wasn't even sure if she knew herself.

"Nice try, detective. But don't quit your day job." She joked. "I chose this colour because it's fabulous!" she said in an over the top way "Besides, it's not blue, it's sort of a blue slash purple. Perfect for a boy or a girl." She continued nonchalantly

"You're right. It is perfect." He smiled at the woman sitting cross legged on the floor with him. She was so beautiful. He knew pregnant woman were supposed to glow, but Haley absolutely radiated beauty. He could only assume that she had a glow to her even when not pregnant. She was such a mystery to him. He knew bits and pieces of her past, but not enough to really piece together a picture of her life before he met her. When he asked about the baby's father, she had simply told him that he was no longer in the picture. Jayden couldn't help but feel a little anger and frustration towards that person. How could they let Haley get away? He tried to convince himself that he was probably some deadbeat loser who she had thought she could change. But Jayden knew that wasn't the truth. It hadn't taken him long to notice, with regret, the visible band of creamy white skin on her ring finger, which contrasted starkly to the tanned skin surrounding it. She had been either engaged or married. And whoever had laid claim to her heart, was the father of her child.

Haley noticed him zoning out and asked softly "What are you thinking about?"

"You" he replied while staring into her eyes.

He leaned forward and gently placed his lips against hers. At first Haley was stunned, then she responded. Jayden deepened the kiss as his tongue entered her mouth. He began massaging her tongue with his as he lay them back down on the hardwood floor. Haley was trying to lose herself in the kiss. Trying to forget. But she couldn't forget. And she couldn't do this to Jayden. She didn't feel anything for him other than friendship, so leading him on like this was wrong. She pushed him off her.

"I'm sorry Haley. I shouldn't have done that." He said while quickly standing up and grabbing his jacket. "I've gotta go. Say bye to Rosie for me" he mumbled before leaving the room.

"Shit!" Haley couldn't believe she had let that happen and could only hope she hadn't lost her friend. It's not like she had many of them left.

* * *

Nathan was absolutely smashed. He hadn't stopped drinking since he arrived at the party afew hours earlier. Some might say he was the life of the party, having a great time, but he wasn't. He kept drinking more and more, but his mind still thought of her. So he decided he needed a distraction. And what better to distract him than beautiful college girls. He had flirted outrageously with every girl that approached him. It was common knowledge that Nathan Scott was the newest and most talented player for the Tar Heels. That made him every girls dream.

The party was starting to bore him, so he decided it was time to find his bed partner for the night. None of the girls he had interacted with tonight had stood out to him in anyway. He was so drunk he could barely remember who he had spoken to anyway. Nathan noticed a tall brunette eying him from across the room. He cockily walked up to her, putting his hands against the wall on either side of her head.

"My room?" he asked huskily

She just nodded and smiled before he took her hand and lead her out the door towards his dorm room.

Lucas had been watching his brother all night and was shocked to see Nathan choosing some random girl to hook up with. He knew Nathan was completely in love with Haley. How could he just sleep with some girl he'd never met before, let alone had a conversation with? Lucas just sighed. There was nothing he could do tonight. He would talk to Nathan tomorrow and try to stop his brother's metamorphosis into Dan Scott Jr.


	18. Missing You

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or any of its characters.**

**_Author's Note: Thanks again for the great reviews. I can see most of you are really anxious for Naley to get back together. There will be some interaction shortly, although a happily ever after is not going to come any time soon. I could let them be happy the whole story, but then it's boring. Where's the fun in that?_**

Nathan was still half asleep when he rolled over and found himself next to a warm body.

"mmm… Haley" he sighed groggily while snuggling closer.

"Try again Don Juan" said a distinctly male voice

Nathan shot up after getting the fright of his life. There was no Haley beside him, instead he found Lucas. What the hell?

"Let me guess Nathan, once again you don't remember anything about last night" Lucas said sarcastically.

"It's way too early for another one of your lectures man." Nathan said with annoyance. "It can't have been too good of a night if I'm still dressed and you're here instead of some hot freshman"

Nathan rolled over again so he had his back to Lucas.

"Nate. You can't keep doing this. You go out every weekend, get drunk and sleep with god knows how many random girls. It's just not you." When Nathan ignored him, Lucas continued "None of this is gonna help you forget her man"

He knew Lucas was right. It wasn't working. It had been nearly 3 months since Haley left, and no matter how many girls he screwed, Nathan couldn't forget her.

"I know" he choked out, the tears starting to form. He sat up and looked at his brother's concerned face.

"Good. So you can stop acting like an ass then." Lucas joked trying to lighten the mood.

"No Lucas. I meant, I know" Nathan said forcefully. "I know that you've all been lying to me. I still can't remember anything, but I do know that Haley is my wife, not yours."

"What? How?"

"I found out the day Haley left town. After your argument with her, I told Haley that I was in love with her, and well… things kind of … happened. Anyway, I was fixing us something to eat and I came across of box of photos hidden away in a kitchen cupboard. I found our wedding photo"

Lucas was shocked. Nathan had known for 3 months. No wonder he was so torn up about Haley.

"Shit man. That must have been weird" Lucas said feeling guilty that he had played along with all the lies.

"Weird? Are you fucking kidding me Luke!" he yelled. "I totally lost the fucking plot! Haley tried to talk to me, tried to explain, but I wouldn't let her"

Knowing Nathan's temper, Luke could imagine how bad that scene must have been.

"I ripped right through her." Nathan whispered "I was so damn angry that all I wanted to do was lash out at everyone, but unfortunately for Haley she copped it all. I was so cruel to her, Luke. It's my fault she's gone" he said sobbing.

Lucas spent the next few hours consoling his brother and telling him the truth. He gave enough information for Nathan to get the whole picture, but tried not to overload him with too many details. They could come later.

* * *

Haley was now seven and half months pregnant and loving every minute of her pregnancy. She had heard many stories of women who complained about it, who felt like 'beached whales' and couldn't wait to give birth, but she really enjoyed the whole experience. She had a sizeable belly, but had barely gained any extra weight, and felt surprisingly sexy… and horny. Haley had been hoping she wouldn't be craving affection like so many other mothers to be, but she was and it was driving her crazy. She thought of Nathan constantly. She needed him emotionally and physically. Seeing him on T.V only made it worse.

Over the last few weeks, Haley had made a habit of watching Nathan's college basketball games. It was her chance to admire him from afar. Watching him running up and down the court and working up a sweat completely turned her on. Unfortunately, when she watched him tonight, all she felt was depressed.

Rosie and Jayden were both working, so she took the opportunity to watch Nathan's game by herself. It was half time and Haley was on the couch in Rosie's lounge room. A highlight of Nathan came on the screen and Haley completely broke down. The tears were flowing and she didn't care. Then she heard Jayden and her Aunt enter the house and furiously tried to wipe her tears so they wouldn't know she had been crying, but her puffy, red rimmed eyes gave her away.

"Haley? Have you been crying?" Rosie asked as she rushed over to Haley on the couch

"It's nothing. Just hormones, you know?" Haley replied less than convincingly

Jayden entered the room and the first thing he noticed was the basketball highlights on the T.V.

"Hey Hales. Never would have picked you as a basketball fan." He joked "Or are you just perving on the boys, huh?" said Jayden who couldn't see her face behind Rosie.

He kept watching the screen and saw them flashing player profiles and game stats.

"Wow. Nathan Scott is on fire tonight. I'll forgive you for perving on him Hales, that boy's got some serious skills"

At the mention of the name Nathan Scott, Rosie looked up at the television screen and saw Nathan's profile and picture displayed.

"Oh Haley. Is this about Nathan?" Rosie asked

"Yeah. Isn't it always" she replied.

They now had Jayden's full attention. What are they talking about? Why is Haley crying about some basketball player?

"You never told me your man was such a little hottie" joked Rosie

Haley laughed through her tears.

"What? You mean you know Nathan Scott?" asked Jayden incredulously

"You could say that" she joked sarcastically

Rosie looked over at Jayden and could see the man was confused as hell. She knew Haley hadn't told Jayden much about her past, but there was no way to avoid it now.

"Nathan is Haley's husband" Rosie said softly

They were in complete silence for a few minutes while Jayden dealt with the shock. So she was married after all. Married to Nathan Scott, star of the UNC Tar Heels and up and coming NBA superstar. He was jealous as hell.

"What a prick!" Jayden exclaimed suddenly breaking the silence

Haley didn't know what reaction to expect, but it definitely wasn't that one.

"Excuse me?" she asked on edge

"You heard me. The guy's a fucking asshole. What kind of a man abandons his pregnant wife to go off and play ball."

Haley was fuming. No one had the right to attack Nathan like that. Especially not when they didn't know him and they didn't know the full story.

"Shut up Jayden. You have no idea what you're talking about. You don't know him. You don't know anything about our relationship. Nathan is a part of me, and being here without him has left me hollow. I'm just a shell of the person I was with him." Haley said with an edge to her voice. "And for your information, I left him. I left without saying goodbye. I took his child away from him. I abandoned him when he needed support the most, so if you're going to start with the name calling, you can start right here."

Rosie glared at Jayden, silently telling him to leave before Haley got anymore worked up. She had come here to prevent stress, and she anything but calm right now. Jayden mumbled a quick goodbye before leaving the house.

* * *

"I really loved her, didn't?" sighed Nathan

"Yeah. But from what I can tell, you still do man" Luke said with confidence

"I felt it from the first moment we met. I want her back Luke. I want to be with her and our child. The baby's due in 5 weeks and I 'm not gonna be there. She doesn't even know how much I love them both. What am I gonna do Luke?"

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Nathan went to answer it and found a beautiful young woman smirking at him.

"Uh, can I help you?" he asked

"Ha Ha. Very funny Nathan. Don't I at least get a hug?" she laughed

Luke perked up as soon as he heard her voice. He walked to the door to see if it was really her.

"Taylor?" asked Luke

"Now that's more like it! How you been Luke?" she said walking past Nathan to give Luke a firm bear hug

"Taylor? As in Haley's sister?" Nathan asked looking at Lucas.

"Wow. Wait a minute. Have I walked into an alternate universe or something? Why are you acting like we've never met before. You're married to my freakin' sister. Where is she by the way? She hasn't been answering her phone."

Nathan sat down on the chair next to him. This was all too much.

Luke gestured for Taylor to take a seat on Nathan's bed.

"Look Taylor. Have you spoken to your parents in say… the last year?"

"No. I've sorta been busy, you know?" She said guiltily. "Why? What's going on? Is something wrong? Oh God, it's Haley isn't it?" she asked starting to panic

Luke explained everything that had happened to Nathan and Haley since the accident. She had no idea that Nathan had been in a coma or that he had lost all memory of the last couple of years. She also had no idea that Haley was pregnant and had left town without a trace.

"Holy Shit. That girl's life has more drama than any soap opera I've ever seen. It's always the quiet ones you know?" she joked half heartedly. Taylor was really worried about her sister, but she could also see that Nathan looked like he was about to have an aneurism, so tried to lighten the mood a little.

"So. Does that mean you don't remember losing your virginity to me, hot stuff" she said in a mock sexy voice.

Nathan's jaw dropped. Just what he needed. Another shocking revelation. "That was you?" he asked. "Oh God. I slept with my wife's sister. As if Haley isn't mad with me enough already" Nathan said with his head in his hands.

Taylor went to kneel in front of Nathan. She took his hands away from his face so that he would look at her.

"It's ok Nathan. Haley already knows about that. She was pissed at first, but then she realised it wasn't that big of a deal. You guys didn't even know each other then." She said while smiling at him.

"Really? Coz I was a real dick to her the day she left. I don't know if she'll ever forgive me."

"I know she will, Nate." Taylor replied, grabbing her handbag and heading for the door.

"Wait. Where are you going?" asked Luke

Taylor gave him her most devious smile. "I'm gonna make a quick call. I'll be back in five… and then we're going to get Haley."

* * *

Haley now lay on the couch with her head in Rosie's lap. Her Aunt was softly stroking her hair as she had done when she was a child.

"What are you thinking baby? Where's your head at?" Rosie asked softly

"Oh Rosie. I don't know. I've just made such a mess of things, you know?" she sighed.

"I've tried to forget him, to leave it in the past, but I love him. I'm so in love with him Rosie. I tried telling myself that he's a different guy now, and that we don't belong together, but he's not, and we do. Underneath it all, he has the same heart and the same soul. He's my soul mate."

Rosie knew it was true just by looking at Haley when she said it. She was so sure… and so hopelessly in love.

"How could I have left him like that? He said he wanted to forget me, but I didn't give him enough time to calm down and process everything. I should have fought for him no matter what. I should have made him see how much he means to me. I don't care if he can't remember us or our relationship, because I do remember. And I promised to love him and be there for him always. Always and Forever."

Rosie looked at her niece with concern. Although Haley was probably right, and Nathan could feel differently after having a chance to think it through, there was still a chance he wanted nothing to do with her or the baby. Haley knew exactly what her Aunt was thinking.

"I'm not naïve Rosie. Nathan may have meant everything he said last time I saw him, but even if we can't be together, I won't stop him from being part of this baby's life if he wants to be involved."

After speaking those words out loud, it was like Haley had an epiphany.

"I have to see him"


	19. Secrets

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or any of its characters.**

That night Haley began packing. It didn't take too long, seeing as though she hadn't brought much with her in the first place. Haley was glad now that she hadn't started buying things for the baby. She had been putting it off, secretly hoping that she wouldn't have to do it by herself.

Haley walked into the Nursery which was completely bare except for a tin of paint she still hadn't thrown out since she and Jayden had finished painting.

"You've been putting this off for weeks Haley-bub. I think deep down you knew you had to go back and that's why you've been so uncharacteristically blasé about preparing for the baby." said Rosie entering the nursery behind her.

"I'm sorry Rosie. I know I've really messed you around now that I've decided to leave. I just want you to know that I really appreciate everything you've done for us. I don't know how I would have gotten through the last few months without you." Haley replied tearfully

"And Jayden?" said Rosie said quietly

Haley sighed. "I love Jayden. I never thought I would have made such a good friend so quickly, but he has really been there for me. I'm gonna miss him."

"Not as much as he's gonna miss you Haley. That boy is head over heals" Rosie replied joking sadly

"I know… He kissed me" Haley said looking at the floor

"He did?" Rosie was quite shocked. She had known Jayden for about 7 years now and thought of him as a son. She had seen him fawning over her niece for a long time, but never thought he'd actually act on it. "And what did you do"

"I kissed him back." She replied meekly "It was a mistake Rosie. I shouldn't have done it but I just wanted to escape and lose myself with him for a moment. Then I realised how wrong it was to lead him on, so I stopped it."

"Are you sure that's all it was? Are you sure you don't have any feelings for him?" Rosie asked seriously

"Jayden is an amazing guy and I really value his friendship. I don't know. Maybe if things were different. Or maybe in another lifetime I could have been happy with him, but Nathan will have my heart for the rest of my life. I can't see myself giving it to anyone else."

Unbeknownst to them, Jayden was standing outside the nursery and had heard the entire conversation.

* * *

"So how come I've never heard of this Aunt Rosie before?" Luke asked Taylor.

Lucas, Nathan and Taylor were driving to Florida to see Haley. Taylor had called her parents from UNC and they told her where her sister was staying. She feigned innocence and pretended that she just wanted to catch up with her little sister.

Taylor looked over at Luke in the passenger seat. "Well it's kind of a long story, but basically Rosie and mom had a falling out when we were little. They only started speaking to each other again a few years ago. Haley was Rosie's favourite and they were really close. I guess after the falling out, when we didn't get to see her anymore, it was just too hard for Haley to talk about her. That's probably why she never mentioned Rosie before"

Taylor looked in the rear view mirror at Nathan who was silently staring out the window. She could tell he was on edge by the way his left leg kept jiggling.

Nathan had no idea what he was actually going to do when he saw Haley. He figured that he'd just know what to say when he got there. He was grateful to Taylor for finding out where Haley was staying, but he really wished that he could go on his own. They had so much to talk about and he didn't know if he would get his chance with Haley's sister and best friend along for the ride.

* * *

Jayden had just finished packing up Rosie's car with Haley's belongings.

"I'm gonna miss you, you know?" Haley said smiling at him

"Yeah, well you're not getting rid of me that easily. I'm definitely going to visit you soon. I feel like it's my little niece or nephew in here. So don't be too surprised to see me pop in Tree Hill someday." he said placing his hand over her stomach.

"You'll always be family to me Jayd. And you're welcome to visit us anytime." She replied. "Thanks for everything."

Haley had planned on just getting the bus back to Tree Hill, but Rosie offered to drive her, and for that, Haley was very grateful. The thought of spending hours and hours on a bus while heavily pregnant, was not at all appealing

"Come on Haley-bub. We've gotta go" yelled Rosie from the drivers seat. "Thanks for looking after the café Jayden. I'll see you in a few days or so."

Haley kissed Jayden on the cheek softly. "I'll be seeing you".

* * *

"Calm down, man" Luke instructed his brother who was growing more agitated by the second. They had arrived at Rosie's house only to find that no one was home. Taylor was now driving them to her Aunt's café, assuming they would probably be there.

"I'm sorry. It's just we've been driving for hours and we get here and Haley's nowhere to be seen. God, I hope she's at the café." Nathan replied as they pulled up out the front.

The three walked inside and up to the counter, searching for any sign of Haley or Rosie. A waitress greeted them almost immediately.

"Hi. What can I get you today?" she asked smiling

"Um, actually we're looking for Rosie. Is she here?" Taylor asked politely

"No, sorry. She's away for a few days. I can get the acting manager if you like?"

Nathan quickly responded "Yes."

"Why don't you take a seat at that booth over there and I'll send him out." She said pointing to a corner booth.

A few minutes later Nathan noticed a man headed in their direction. He was quite tall with a muscular build and a few tattoos on his biceps. The tattoos along with his shaved head could have made him seem scary, but his dark brown eyes were warm and friendly.

"Hi. You guys were asking for Rosie?" he asked smiling, but his smile faded a little when he noticed the dark haired boy. Nathan Scott.

"Yeah. Well actually I'm looking for my sister, Haley, who has been staying with Rosie for a while. She wasn't at the house, so we were hoping to find her here." Taylor said trying not to flirt. This guy was a hottie. "But looks like we're out of luck. Your waitress said Rosie went out of town for a few days. Do you know if Haley went with her?"

Jayden was about to tell them everything he knew, but one more look at Nathan had him seething with jealousy. What was so good about this Nathan Scott guy anyway? Yeah, so he had some mad skills on the court and he's not that bad looking, but what was it that made Haley so in love with him? Jayden thought back to the conversation he had overheard the night before between Haley and Rosie and it occurred to him that the only thing really standing in between him and Haley, was Nathan.

"Look. Sorry guys, but Haley's gone. She left town this morning. I don't know where she went, but she said something about needing to move on." Jayden said looking directly at Nathan. Jayden immediately felt a pang of guilt for lying, but it was like he couldn't control himself.

Nathan felt like this guy had put a dagger through his heart. They had been apart for months and now he had only missed Haley by a few hours. Now she could be headed anywhere.

Luke could see how crushed Nathan was and said softly "I'm sorry, Nate."

The three of them left the café and drove back to North Carolina.

* * *

Haley and Rosie entered Karen's Café quite exhausted from their drive. Haley looked around soaking in the familiar atmosphere of the café she had spent so much time in growing up. The place was empty except for a couple sitting at a table in the back. Haley noticed Karen standing at the counter looking down at some bookwork.

"Hey stranger" Haley said getting Karen's attention

"Oh my god. Haley?" she replied running out from behind the counter to embrace Haley, which was becoming more and more difficult with the ever growing baby bump. Haley hugged her back letting the tears fall freely.

"Oh, we've been so worried. Are you ok? Is the baby ok?" Karen asked with concern before noticing Rosie

"We're both fine. I've been staying with my Aunt Rosie" Haley said gesturing to her Aunt. "Karen this is Rosie. Rosie this is Karen"

"It's nice to meet you Karen. I've heard wonderful things about you" Rosie said kindly

"It's good to meet you too. Thank you for taking such good care of our Haley."

Haley and Rosie decided to stay for dinner upon Karen's request. Once the café was closed, Karen insisted that they both go back to her house for the night.

When back at Karen's house, Rosie went to bed early, exhausted from the long drive, but Haley and Karen stayed up until the early hours of the morning, just talking.

Karen informed Haley that the charade surrounding Nathan's amnesia had been ended. He still didn't have his memory back, but had been told the truth. Haley explained her reasons for leaving and also why she decided to come back. They also discussed what had been happening in their lives over the past three months and what her friends were up to at college.

"I've really missed them Karen" Haley whispered trying not to cry.

"They've missed you to. They will be so excited to hear that you're back."

"Um, Karen. Would you mind not telling anyone yet? I know I need to speak with Nathan, but I'm not ready just yet. Do you mind keeping this a secret, just for a little while."

"Sure Haley. If that's what you want." She smiled at the beautiful young woman before her. "I would really love it if you would stay here, until you get your self on your feet. This place is so lonely now with Lucas gone. What do you say?"

"Thanks Karen, that would be great." Said an appreciative Haley

"Also, I know with the baby coming, you're going to need to earn some money, so how would you like to work some shifts at the café? Whatever you can handle." Offered Karen

"Really? I'd love… Oh Karen. I don't think I can. There's no way my being back is going to stay a secret if Dan or Deb see me working."

"Don't worry about it Haley. They're not around at the moment. As soon as they had to stop pretending to play happy families, Deb left him. She's just travelling at the moment enjoying her freedom. Dan, never one to be outdone, decided to go on a long vacation too. As far as I know he won't be back for a few more months."

"Well, in that case, I'd love to come back and work for you. Thank you so much for everything Karen. You're like a mother to me. I love you so much."

Haley could see that Karen was beginning to cry.

"What's wrong?" she asked with concern

"Haley, I have a secret too. Can I trust you to keep it?" Karen asked hesitantly.

Haley nodded, fearing what she was about to be told.

"I'm sick Haley. I have cervical cancer." She whispered. Karen explained that she had only recently found out and begun chemotherapy. There was a good chance she was going to be fine, but she was having trouble looking after the café by herself.

"Oh God Karen. I'm so sorry." Haley said crying with her. "I'm here for you ok. I'll help you in any way I can. I've been working all through my pregnancy and I can help you 'til the baby comes. And it won't take me long to get back on my feet afterwards either. We'll manage" she said rubbing Karen's back.

"Thanks, but I don't expect you to work after you have the baby."

"Don't be silly. I was planning on working anyway. And you know what? When I'm working at the café, you can help look after the baby. It'll all work out. You'll see."

* * *

Nathan took the failed road trip pretty badly. It had been over a week since they had returned. Nathan skipped his classes and only left his dorm room to go to basketball practice or games. He was sitting in his room staring at his wedding photo when he heard a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" he called while placing the photo in a drawer

"It's Luke. Can I come in?" his brother yelled through the door

"Yeah, man. It's not locked." Replied Nathan

Luke entered the room and saw that Nathan was still depressed and moping around. He hated to see him like that, but understood why. After they had left Florida, Taylor called her parents to see if Haley had informed them of her decision to leave Rosie's, but she hadn't been in touch with them. Now Nathan had no way of finding Haley until she contacted her parents.

"So. Brooke and I are heading back to Tree Hill for the long weekend. So are Jake and Peyton. Are going to come?" Luke asked his brother. "It's got to be better than hanging out here by your self."

Nathan thought about the offer. Lucas was right. He was driving himself insane in his tiny dorm room. It would be good to get away from school and basketball and hang out with all of his friends for a few days.

Nathan surprised his brother by responding. "Count me in. You guys can stay at my parent's house with me if you want. It's still empty"

"Sounds good, Nate. It's gonna be a fun weekend. We're heading off Friday afternoon. You wanna ride with us, or drive your own car?" asked Lucas

"I'll take my own car. I might even head up on Thursday night because I don't have any classes Friday. So I guess I'll see you when you get there."

Lucas left shortly afterwards and Nathan felt a lot better. This weekend was going to be good. He could feel it.

* * *

A week after arriving in Tree Hill, Rosie left for Florida and Haley settled into a new routine. She began working at the café and loved it. It felt like getting part of her old life back. She also loved staying with Karen. They supported each other and it was just like having a family again. Haley attempted to call Nathan a few times, but hung up before he could answer. It was too hard to find the right words. So she decided that she would go to UNC and see him face to face. It would be better that way. It was almost the long weekend, and the café would be quite busy, so she decided that she would wait until next week to see him. That was when she would stop being a coward, and confront her husband. 


	20. unexpected meeting

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or any of its characters.**

Nathan arrived at his parent's house early in the Thursday evening before the long weekend. It felt really good to be back in town, almost like he was closer to Haley. Nathan was glad his parents were gone for so long. He was still upset about everything he had found out about them and their relationship. It was nice to not have to deal with either of them for a while. The big house did feel very empty though. He wondered if he would always feel like this… alone.

Nathan hadn't stopped to get groceries on his way to Tree Hill, so he decided to just get something from Karen's Café. Nathan drove down the main street to the café, where he parked his car and slowly entered the establishment. He was fumbling through his pockets for change before he reached the counter and looked up to address the waitress.

In an instant, blue eyes met brown.

"Haley?" he asked shocked

"Hi Nathan" she said uncomfortably

"What are you doing here? How long have you been back?"

"Two weeks." She responded nervously. "I'm really sorry I didn't tell you, I wanted to, but I wasn't sure... Anyway, I'm sorry"

Nathan was about to speak when another customer interrupted him.

"Excuse me miss, but how long do you think it will be until our meals are ready?" the elderly gentlemen asked

"Sorry for the delay sir. You're food will be out in a few minutes."

Nathan could see that the café was quite busy and it looked like Haley was the only waitress working for the night.

"Obviously you're busy. But can we talk later? Maybe I could pick you up after your shift" Nathan asked cautiously.

"Yeah. Ok. I'll see you in two hours?"

"Yeah. Bye." He replied, leaving without any dinner.

* * *

Haley was extremely nervous. She had thought that upon seeing Nathan she would be able to read him and know where she stood, but it was the opposite. Their meeting had been so rushed and awkward, that she had absolutely no idea how he felt about seeing her.

"At least he wants to talk to me" Haley muttered to herself.

"You know, talking to yourself is the first sign of dementia" came a male voice

Haley turned around to see Jayden standing at the counter.

"Jayden?" she squealed excitedly. "It's only been two weeks. I never expected you to visit me so soon!"

"I missed you Hales." He said sincerely "And Rosie's given me some time off so that I could visit you. I thought, maybe if you wanted, I could stick around to help you out with the baby for a while"

Haley couldn't believe it. She hadn't expected Jayden to follow her to Tree Hill and basically offer to be a surrogate father.

The café was now empty, so she took him over to a table by the window.

"Um, that's really nice of you Jayden, but it's really not necessary. I've got Karen supporting me and Nathan and I are supposed to be getting together to talk. Who knows? He might even want to be around for the baby."

"So you've seen Nathan?" Jayden asked with an edge to his voice

"Yeah, he came by earlier for some food and he's going to pick me up in about 10 minutes. I'm sorry to have to run out on you, but this talk is long overdue." She said apologetically. "Do you have somewhere to stay?"

"I booked into a hotel earlier." He replied flatly. "Look, Hales. No matter what happens with Nathan, I want you to understand that I want to be here for you and the baby. It's really important to me." His voice filled with desperation

Haley was feeling uneasy. She thought Jayden knew how she felt about their friendship. It was like he just wouldn't let go of the hope that she would change her mind. She didn't need this added complication when she was trying to sort out her relationship with Nathan.

"Jayden. I really appreciate your concern, and I value your friendship, but I have a life here that I need to try to rebuild. I'm sorry, but even if Nathan doesn't end up wanting to be a part of it, there's no room for another man in my life. I thought you understood that"

"Haley" he sighed grabbing her hand possessively.

Haley immediately tried to grab her hand back off him, but didn't let go.

"Let go of me Jayden" she said firmly. He looked at her face for a moment before releasing his grip. "I think you should go now. And by go, I mean leave Tree Hill. It's obvious that you can't respect my wishes, so… we can't be friends anymore."

Haley walked to the front door and opened it gesturing for him to leave. He dejectedly stood up and walked over to her. This wasn't how he planned their meeting to go. He had secretly hoped that he could win her over, but it was obvious that Nathan Scott's hold on her was greater than he thought.

As he stood in front of her, he glanced out the door and saw Nathan getting out of his car parked across the street. Within an instant, he pulled Haley to him and crashed his lips against hers. If he couldn't have Haley, then he sure as hell was going to make it difficult for her and Nathan to get back together.

Haley was still for a few seconds as the shock washed over her, then she realised what had happened. She placed her hands on Jayden's chest trying to push him away from her, but he was much stronger and suddenly she felt his tongue roughly probing her mouth. He pushed her up against the door frame and slid a hand down to cup her ass. May as well give Nathan a show to remember!

Haley eventually pushed him off her in time to see Nathan get into his car and drive off. She looked up at Jayden with pure hatred in her eyes.

"How could you do that to me? I hate you. Get the fuck away from me know." she spat out "I don't want to ever see you again"

Without another word, Jayden was gone, leaving Haley sobbing. What had he done? Nathan must have seen him kissing her and thought they were together. She knew Nathan's temper, and he would be furious with her. She'd be lucky if he would even speak to her at this point. She may as well forget about working things out with him now. Then it occurred to her. For Nathan to get so worked up, he must be jealous. If he was jealous, it meant he still had feelings for her. That was enough for Haley. She would go to his house. She was going to keep her promise to herself, and fight for her husband.

* * *

Nathan drove straight back to his parent's house and stormed into the lounge room. He just sat on the couch in the dark, processing his thoughts.

He was beyond upset. He wanted to kill that guy. How dare he touch his wife like that. It made him sick. Haley was Nathan's. Then he realised he was also angry with Haley. He had been longing for her for 3 months, and all this time she'd shacked up with a new man. Didn't take her long! Nathan knew he was being a hypocrite, especially since he had lost count of the number of women he had slept with since starting college, but that was different. They meant nothing to him, he didn't care about them. They never got a piece of his heart. But Haley, she was obviously involved in a relationship with that guy from her Aunt's cafe, especially if he followed her from Florida to Tree Hill.

The anger soon turned to hurt and betrayal. She had managed to break his heart without even knowing it. He had been so sure they could work it all out when she agreed to meet with him tonight. All the hopes he had for a future with her had been shattered. A single tear escaped from his eye. He wouldn't break down. He was stronger than this. He would pretend like nothing happened and if he ran into her again, he would show her no emotion, because obviously she felt none towards him.

* * *

Haley quickly finished closing up. As she exited the café she could see that it had started pouring with rain. Haley didn't have a car in tree hill, so she knew she would have to walk to Nathan's. It was cold, wet and very windy, but with her jeans and duffel coat, she would be ok. She had to see him and if it meant walking in this weather, then so be it.

When she reached the end of the Scott's driveway, she could see no light emitting from within the big house.

"Maybe he's not home yet" she said to herself. Haley was now drenched. She could no longer control the shivers that overtook her body as her teeth chattered loudly. She knew this wasn't good for the baby, but neither was stressing about her husband. She was about to turn around and walk back to Karen's before seeing Nathan's car parked to the side of the house. Haley knew he must be inside.

She walked to the front porch and revelled in the small amount of protection it gave her from the rain. She stood there for a moment frozen in fear, unable to stop the tears that began to stream down her face. What would she say? How would he react? Could she really do this? She gathered up all her courage and knocked on the door.

* * *

Nathan was brought out of his thoughts by a knock on the door. He knew it was Haley. As far as she knew, he had stood her up, and she would probably be pissed. He did feel kind of bad for just leaving without saying anything, but then he remembered that she had her new boyfriend to look after her. That thought sent another surge of anger and jealousy through him.

Nathan got up off the couch and stormed over to the front door, ready for a confrontation with her. He just hoped her little boyfriend was with her so he could punch his lights out! Nathan placed one hand on the handle and begun to open the door while his other fist was clenched.

As soon as he saw Haley standing there soaking wet and shivering with a tearstained face, his demeanour softened. She looked so fragile, like she would break or the wind would blow her over any second.

"Haley. What are you doing out here in this weather?" he asked with a hint of annoyance. It couldn't be good for the baby.

"I needed to see you. But I don't have a car, so I walked" she said through chattering teeth.

"You need to get out of these wet clothes and warmed up Haley. Come with me" Nathan said taking her hand and leading her upstairs to the bathroom. Nathan turned on the shower and waited for the water to reach a reasonable temperature.

Haley was surprised by his actions. She had expected yelling and screaming, or even worse, cold silence. But never would she have expected this. She looked at him warmly, silently questioning him about his actions.

Nathan saw Haley's expression, but kept his face void of any emotion. He didn't want Haley to think everything was ok, because it was far from it. Just because he didn't want her to get pneumonia didn't mean he had forgotten about what happened at the café.

"Hop in. I'll get you something to wear and leave it on the bench for you. I'll be downstairs in the lounge room when you're done" Nathan told her, wondering what the hell he would be able to find for her. She was eight months pregnant for God's sake.

He walked into his mother's room and opened the closet, looking for anything that might fit. Then he remembered that his mother kept one of her favourite maternity dresses from when she was pregnant with him. She kept a photo on her dresser of her and Dan at a charity function while she was pregnant. She always told Nathan that it was one of the happiest nights of her life, and had promised never to throw away the black evening dress.

Nathan found the dress hanging at the end of her closet. It was beautiful. Completely inappropriate for the situation, but unless Haley wanted to wear a bed sheet as a toga until her clothes dried, it would have to do. Nathan quietly opened the bathroom door and hung the dress on the back of it. He tried not to look, but couldn't help but glance at Haley's silhouette through the steamed up glass. The sight took his breath away. She was gorgeous, and he couldn't help but smile upon noticing how round her stomach had become. That's a part of me in there!

* * *

Once Haley had warmed up and driven the chill out of her bones, she turned off the water in the shower and stepped out to dry herself. It was then that she noticed the dress hanging on the back of the door. She had wondered what on earth Nathan would find for her to wear, but had expected maybe a large bath robe or something, not this beautiful dress before her.

Haley finished drying her hair with the hairdryer she found under the sink. she slipped into the dress and pulled up the side zip. The dress had a low back, thin straps and the front dipped to show just a little cleavage. Haley couldn't help but blush as she realised how large her breasts had grown and how much this dress showed them off. The waist of the dress sat snugly against her protruding stomach and then fell to just below her knees. Haley felt very sexy at that moment. She felt so much better… physically. But inside, she was a nervous wreck. Taking a deep breath, she exited the bathroom and descended the stairs.

As she entered the lounge room, she found him playing NBA Live. He was sitting on the couch in front of an open fire. Nathan either hadn't heard her enter the room, or was ignoring her.

"Hey" she said softly to get his attention

Nathan paused his game and turned to look at her. His knew he was staring but was unable to look away, or to speak. She was stunning. All he wanted to do at that moment was run to her and kiss her with all the passion he had. He wanted her. He wanted to make love to her.

Haley was growing very self conscious under his unwavering gaze.

"So… I'm feeling a little uncomfortable here. I mean, can we say overdressed?" she laughed nervously, all her confidence and thoughts of feeling sexy flying out the window.

Nathan still hadn't moved or uttered a word. He had completely zoned out. Thought of making passionate love to her overtaking his mind completely. Nathan hadn't even noticed that she had walked to the couch and sat down next to him until he felt her hand on his shoulder.

"Nathan?" she said for the third time trying to get his attention. "Are you ok?"

He snapped out of it and turned to face her. Her face was glowing from the light of the fire and he couldn't imagine her looking more beautiful. He had to kiss her. That was the only thought running through his mind as he looked at her full lips. He could see them moving, but had blocked out the sound. Then he heard it.

"About what you saw at the café earlier." She said softly

Now he had definitely crashed back to reality. His thoughts of desire turned once again to resentment and Haley noticed his eyes narrow and darken.

"Look, I know you saw me with Jayden, but…"

"So that's your new man's name, huh?" he spat out

"Nathan. He's not my 'new man'" she said using air quotes.

"Fine. Boyfriend then." Nathan replied rolling his eyes.

"He's not my boyfriend either. We're not like that." She tried to explain

"Well, it must be pretty serious if he followed you here from Florida!" Nathan yelled

"He's my friend. At least he was… until tonight when he forced his tongue down my throat and I told him I never wanted to see him again!" she yelled back

Then it hit her. How did Nathan know she had been in Florida? And how did he know she had met Jayden there? Nathan could see the questions building in her head.

"I met him two weeks ago at your Aunt's café. Luke, Taylor and I came to find you but you were already gone. Your punk ass little boyfriend told us that you left town, but said he didn't know where you'd gone." Nathan said trying to control his anger. "That lying piece of shit!" he added

After a while, Nathan realised that no one had spoken in minutes. Haley was staring at him blankly. It unsettled him. What was she thinking? Why hadn't she said anything?

"You came to Florida to see me?" she eventually asked, the shock written all over her face.

Nathan just nodded. What else could he say.

"Why?" she asked in wonderment.

Nathan didn't know what to say. He wanted to lie to her and say it was for Luke, or Taylor or… anything but the truth. He wanted to be angry at her. He wanted to hurt her, like she had hurt him tonight. But looking into her big brown eyes, his heart spoke for him.

"Because I love you" he uttered barely above a whisper.


	21. Some Things Are Worth Waiting For

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or any of its characters.**

**Author's Note: Your reviews have been great guys. Please keep it up. Here is some Naley for those of you have been patiently waiting... and those who have been begging me for it:-)**

"_Because I love you"_

The words she had dreamt of hearing from him for three months. He loved her. He had gone to find her, even though she left without a goodbye. Haley's heart was racing and all she could see was his beautiful face so open and honest after revealing his heart to her.

Nathan watched her reaction closely. He meant what he said, but wasn't sure how she felt about it. After all, they had been apart for over three months. The silence was killing him. God Haley, just give me some kind of sign here.

The next thing he knew, Haley closed the space between them and softly kissed his lips. He felt the need and want from within her and kissed her back more intensely, cupping her face with both hands, while she snaked her arms around his neck. He felt her tongue begging for entrance to his mouth, and eagerly complied. One of his hands made its way down to rest on her stomach tenderly. Nathan was in heaven and felt himself growing harder with every moan that escaped her mouth. But heaven would have to wait…

Haley pulled away suddenly, trying to catch her breath.

"We can't do this Nathan. We need to talk" she said trying not to set him off

Nathan felt his frustrations growing. "What is it Haley? Feeling guilty about cheating on your boyfriend with your husband!" he shouted as he stood up and walked towards the fireplace.

"God damn it Nathan. I already told you. He's not my boyfriend!" she yelled just as loudly at him

Nathan gave her his best 'yeah right' expression and scoffed loudly.

"This is why we need to talk, Nathan. We have to sort a few things out."

She could see that she was losing him. He was pulling away from her and closing himself off. She knew Nathan thought she was rejecting him.

"Nathan, look at me." She said firmly. He turned to face her with a cold expression.

"I love you. Of course I would rather be kissing you right now instead of discussing our issues. God, I want so much for you to take me on this couch, right here, right now." She said passionately. Haley could see his expression change and his eyes fill with love and desire. He took a step forward, but she stopped him.

"But we can't Nathan, because that's not going to solve our problems. We need to talk about what has happened. What we're feeling and where we want to go from here. We have decisions to make, and I don't think I could handle it if I spent the night with you only to find out that you thought it was a mistake. It would be too hard." She choked out.

Nathan hated to see her cry. He knew she was telling him the truth. He could hear it in her voice. She loved him, but she was scared to be with him tonight. Afraid that in the morning reality would invade their paradise and pull them apart. He needed to reassure her that no matter what they discussed, he wanted them to be together.

He stepped forward again, but this time he knelt before her so that they were at eye level.

"Hales. I know you're scared that after we talk, I'm going to leave you. But I need you to know that I haven't stopped loving you and thinking about you since the day you left. I didn't mean what I said that day." Nathan thought back to that fateful day when he discovered that he was married to Haley, and that everyone had been lying to him.

"_Just answer me one thing Haley" he said_

_She nodded._

_He lifted the wedding photo up for her to look at. "Are we married? Are you my wife? Did we stand before god and recite vows to be together 'till death do us part?"_

_Haley was about to respond when he continued in an icy tone "Tell me Haley, was there anything in those vows about honesty and trust?"_

_She didn't know what to say. He was right. She had gone against her instincts and her heart playing along with his family and their ridiculous lie. Although she had only been trying to do the right thing, she had betrayed him._

"_I'm sorry" she said as the tears began to fall._

_He felt a tinge of regret upon seeing her cry, but he could feel his angel boiling out of control._

"_Some wife you are." He spat hatefully as he grabbed his keys and wallet from the counter top and walked towards the door. He turned back to look at her coolly "You know what Haley. I'm glad I don't remember our life together, because it will be that much easier to forget you as soon as I walk out this door."_

Nathan saw pain flash through her eyes as she too thought back to their confrontation.

"I could never forget you. I was just shocked and upset and I took it all out on you." He said apologetically, then took her hands in his.

"I know it's going to be hard for both of us. But I want to remember our life Haley. I love you so much. And no matter what happens from now on, you need to know that I want to be your husband. I want to be with you and raise our child together. Is that what you want too?" Nathan asked fearing he wouldn't get the answer he wanted.

Haley smiled. Her greatest fantasy could not compare to the reality of Nathan professing his love for her and his desire to be a family again.

"Yes." She said kissing his hand tenderly. "It's all I ever wanted"

Nathan grinned widely. He was so happy at that moment he felt his heart would explode. Nathan's grin was quickly replaced by his infamous smirk.

"So… Mrs Scott. You still want me to take you right here, right now?" he asked in a husky voice, expecting to see her blush.

Instead she just laughed. "You have no idea what you've gotten yourself into Mr Scott. Pregnancy has made me horny as hell, and we have three months to make up for." Haley replied raising her eyebrow suggestively.

"God you're so sexy Hales" he said before kissing her fervently. He took hold of her gently bringing her down to kneel with him on the plush carpet in front of the open fire.

Haley lifted his Duke sweatshirt over his head, followed quickly by his white wife beater. She never thought it was possible, but his body was hotter than ever. All the college basketball was definitely paying off. Her hands ran up and down his chest and abs as she placed wet kisses on his jaw and neck.

Nathan found the zipper on the side of her dress and pulled it down slowly. She pulled away from him and watched as he gently pushed the straps down her shoulders. The top of the dress fell to her stomach exposing her very swollen breasts. Nathan groaned at the sight. He reached out to touch her and noticed her nipples harden immediately.

Haley gasped at the contact. Her breasts had been so sensitive over the last couple of months, which had annoyed her at times, but now she was thankful for it. The feeling only got better as Nathan dipped down and took a nipple into his mouth. He placed his hands underneath the bottom of her dress and pulled it up over her head. She was now completely naked before him.

He placed an arm behind her and gently pulled her to the floor with him. Nathan removed his jeans followed by his socks and boxers, so that he too was naked. His instinct was to straddle her, but he soon realised that wasn't going to happen. Making love to her was going to be more difficult than he thought. The last time they were together, Haley was only just beginning to show, but now she was eight months pregnant, and they were going to have to work around her growing belly.

Haley watched him undress, marvelling at his gorgeous body and handsome face. She felt so comfortable lying back on the floor completely exposed to him. There was no doubt or inhibition. She wondered if it were her hormones making her so bold tonight. She saw Nathan's hesitation and realised he didn't know what to do next. Haley hadn't thought about the mechanics of it either, since this was the first time she had to take her expanding waist into consideration.

Taking charge, she lifted herself up so that she was once again kneeling with him. She kissed his lips before whispering sexily in his ear "I need you now. Take me from behind".

No words had ever turned her husband on more. He watched her turn and place her elbows on the couch so it would be easier for him to enter her. He was behind her in a flash placing warm kisses on the back of her neck. He moved his hand to her front and lightly stroked her, causing Haley to moan loudly.

"Now Nate." She urged.

He entered her slowly, letting her adjust to his thrusts. His free hand moved to one of her breasts, kneading if firmly. Once again she just moaned in response. Nathan was trying his best to hold out, wanting to make it last as long as possible for her, but he could tell by her hips matching his thrusts that she wanted release as much as he did. He couldn't control himself any longer and begun thrusting into her wildly.

"Yes. Nate. Keep going" she cried before he felt her orgasm rip through her. Within seconds he also reached his climax. He fell backwards, bringing her with him to the floor. She rolled to her side and kissed him passionately before returning to rest her head on his arm.

"Well that was worth waiting three months for" she said smiling.

Nathan laughed and pulled her closer to him. This was the most perfect moment of his life. Everything they had been through up until this night was worth it. He kissed her forehead lovingly and caressed her stomach.

"Thank you Nathan" she whispered

He looked down at her. "What for babe?"

"For being you. For letting me love you… and for loving me back" she said looking up into his eyes.

He smiled at her warmly. "I do Hales. I love you and our baby so much."

"Always and forever" she replied so softly that he didn't hear her.


	22. Brooke and her Big Mouth!

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or any of its characters.**

Nathan woke at around midnight with Haley still sleeping soundly in his arms. At first he thought it was just another dream, but then he remembered. Meeting her at the café. Seeing her with Jayden. Haley soaking wet on his front porch. Haley looking incredible in his mother's black dress. Haley looking incredible, lying naked before him. Making love to her in front of the open fire. Oh, yeah… it was real. He let out a small sigh of relief.

Haley stirred in his arms. He watched her gradually wake and open her eyes. She seemed to be searching her surroundings to figure out where she was, before turning and seeing him.

"Nathan?" she said reaching out to stroke his cheek. "You're really here? It wasn't a dream?"

Nathan couldn't help the chuckle that escaped his throat.

"What? Don't laugh at me" she said pouting.

"Sorry baby. I didn't mean to laugh at you. It's just that I thought the same thing when I woke up."

She propped herself up on an elbow to lean in and kiss him softly. "Well, if this is a dream, I don't ever want to wake up"

As Nathan pulled her to him and held her closely, he felt that she was shivering. He looked down and realised that they were both still lying completely naked on the lounge room floor. Nathan instantly thought that the cold and the hard floor can't be good for Haley in her condition. He decided they should go and sleep in his room.

Nathan disentangled his arms from around his wife. He grabbed his clothes from the floor and hers from near the fireplace where he had left them to dry. Nathan offered Haley his hand and helped her to her feet. Nathan put all the clothes under one arm so that that he could use his other to guide Haley, not noticing as her bra fell to the floor.

Once comfortable in his bed, the two fell into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

Once again Nathan was the first to awake. He spent a few minutes just watching her sleep, but then decided to get up and make some breakfast. 'Yeah, coz that went so well last time' he thought to himself.

Nathan entered the kitchen and remembered that he hadn't gone shopping yet. He would have to go to the store before making breakfast. He left a note for Haley on the bench and left the house. Nathan knew it was stupid, but he just couldn't shake the bad feeling he had. This was exactly what had happened that fateful morning at Haley's apartment, when his world had come crashing down.

"No. Everything is fine. I know the truth now. The girl of my dreams is asleep in my bed and nothing is going to go wrong" he said firmly as he made his way to the store.

About half an hour later, Nathan was in the middle of cooking, when he heard the doorbell.

"Shit" he cursed. Nathan had completely forgotten that Lucas, Brooke, Jake and Peyton were coming today. He just wanted to spend some alone time with Haley, and he definitely didn't want them to know she was here. They needed to discuss their future first.

"Hey Bro. We're here" yelled Luke as he and Brooke entered the front door.

Nathan just hoped they wouldn't wake Haley. He needed to warn her before she saw them.

They smelt the food as soon as they entered the house, so Brooke and Luke quickly made their way into the kitchen.

"Aw, Nate. You didn't have to cook for us. You're so sweet!" Brooke said hugging her friend.

"Um… well I thought you would be hungry after the drive." he lied.

"Yeah, thanks Bro. It's only a couple of hours, but who am I to say no to a freshly cooked breakfast?"

Nathan finished preparing the food he had made for him and his wife, and served it to his guests. At least while they ate, he would have time to run up and talk to Haley. Just as he was leaving the kitchen and headed towards the stairs, Nathan noticed Haley's bra on the floor. He was about to kick it under the couch, but it was too late. Brooke was behind him.

"Nathan! Do you have a girl here?" squealed Brooke with a smirk. Nathan looked down to his feet. He really didn't want to get into this right now. He wanted to clear everything up with Haley before he discussed their relationship with any of their friends.

"You man whore, you!" Brooke said teasingly. "Wait a second. You brought a girl to Tree Hill. Wow, that means you must actually like her."

Nathan gave Lucas a look that read 'please just shut your girlfriend up now'.

"Brooke, baby. Why don't you just leave Nathan alone." Luke said gently

"No way. I want the gossip." Brooke looked to Nathan. "I mean after the numerous amount of skanks you've been banging at school, I just wanna know who was special enough to get an invite for the weekend." She said matter of factly.

It was at this point that Lucas looked up and noticed the woman at the top of the staircase. She had obviously just gotten out of bed and was wearing jeans and one of his brother's Duke sweat shirts. He looked at her face and almost chocked on his drink. Was that Haley? It couldn't be. But it sure as hell looked like her.

Upon seeing Luke's reaction, Nathan turned around to see Haley. He smiled at how adorable she looked with his sweat shirt fitting snugly against her swollen belly. His smile quickly disappeared when he saw the fake one plastered across her face. He knew it was fake because the look in her eyes was telling him that she was pissed off. What was going on?

After Haley descended the stairs, Lucas embraced her. It wasn't at all awkward, which surprised her considering the way they left things. Brooke was next to greet her.

"Tutorgirl!" she squealed excitedly, hugging her friend. "I've missed you so much. I can't believe you're here. You're back in Tree Hill!.. and you're at Nathan's house?" Brooke asked more herself more than Haley. Haley could practically see the cogs working in her friend's brain. "Oh. My. God. You and Nathan are back together! I always knew you would work everything out!" Brooke said hugging both Haley and Nathan before going to stand with her boyfriend.

Nathan just laughed at Brooke. He was glad that his friends were so happy for them. But his laughter soon stopped when Haley spoke.

"We're not back together Brooke" she said flatly. "We just needed to discuss some things.. you know, about the baby."

Lucas noticed Nathan's face fall and could read the confusion and hurt in his eyes.

Brooke walked over to Haley and assessed her. She gently played with Haley's messy 'bed hair' and laughed, before bending down to pick up Haley's bra from the floor.

"Yeah, coz you look like all you've been doing is TALKING!" she teased.

"Just drop it Brooke" snapped Haley

Everyone was surprised by Haley's outburst, but didn't have time to think about it when they heard Peyton and Jake calling to them from the front door. When the couple found their friends standing at the bottom of the stairs near the kitchen, Jake and Peyton could feel the tension in the room. It took them both a few seconds to register that Haley was standing with them.

"Haley?" Peyton exclaimed running to her friend and hugging her tightly.

"Hey Peyton. How are you?" she asked distractedly, just wanting to get out of there.

"I think the important question is how the hell are you? We've missed you so much. Are you back for good. Are you staying here in Tree Hill? Where have you been?" she asked hurriedly.

"Peyton. Give her a chance to breathe. You're worse than Brooke" Jake said jokingly, earning him a glare from Brooke. "Hi Haley" he said giving her a quick hug.

"Sorry Hales." Peyton said before adding. "You got so big. How long until the baby's due?"

"Um… One month." She said trying to gather enthusiasm

"You guys must be so excited." Brooke chirped.

Nathan looked at Haley trying to read her expression. He didn't know what was going on with her. Did she regret last night? Did he do something wrong? He needed to talk to her… alone. But how was he supposed to do that with all their friends here.

"Yeah. Look I've gotta go. My shift starts soon." Haley said avoiding Nathan's gaze. She walked to the door and without turning around called out "It was nice to see you guys."

"Well that was sufficiently awkward." Luke stated earning him a glare from Nathan.

Peyton and Jake just share a look that said 'What the hell is going on?'.

* * *

Haley walked back to Karen's crying her eyes out. She knew she shouldn't have slept with Nathan before they talked out all of their issues. It was a mistake. How could he betray her like that?

"Oh. Haley. I was so worried about you" Karen said when Haley entered the house. Karen noticed the girl wearing a Duke sweat shirt and smiled.

"Sorry Karen. I should have called. I was um.." she said not wanting to tell the truth.

"It's ok Haley. It's not too hard to figure out where you were" Karen joked pointing to her clothing. "So how is Nathan?"

Haley stiffened at the mention of her husband's name. "He's fine. Look, I need to shower and get ready for my shift" Haley said uncomfortably, hoping Karen would take the hint.

"You're not working today Haley" Karen stated

'Oh yeah. That was just the lie I used to escape from Nathan earlier' Haley thought to herself. She noticed Karen looking at her with concern. She never could hide anything from Karen and assumed it was the whole surrogate mother thing. Karen patted the space next to her on the couch, so Haley obliged.

"What's going on? Did you have a fight with Nathan?"

"No. Yes. Not really" she said thinking back to what she overheard from Nathan's bedroom this morning.

"_Nathan! Do you have a girl here?" squeal Brooke with a smirk. Nathan looked down to his feet. He really didn't want to get into this right now. He wanted to clear everything up with Haley before he discussed their relationship with any of their friends._

"_You man whore, you!" Brooke said teasingly. "Wait a second. You brought a girl to Tree Hill. Wow, that means you must actually like her." _

_Nathan gave Lucas a look that read 'please just shut your girl up now'._

"_Brooke, baby. Why don't you just leave Nathan alone." Luke said gently_

"_No way. I want the gossip." Brooke looked to Nathan. "I mean after the numerous amount of skanks you've been banging at school, I just wanna know who was special enough to get an invite for the weekend." She said matter of factly._

"It's complicated" she sighed

"Well I've got the time to listen" Karen said holding Haley's hand.

Haley explained to Karen what had happened the day before. She told her about seeing Nathan at the café and agreeing to get together to talk. How Jayden had shown up and kissed her while Nathan was across the street. How she walked in the rain to his house. How Nathan had professed his love for her before they made love. Then she just stared out the window lost in her thoughts.

"Ok. But I don't see why you're upset about that Haley. It sounds like it ended perfectly." Karen said looking bewilderedly at the crying girl before her.

"It did. But then I woke up this morning and I could hear people talking downstairs. I realised that Lucas and Brooke were there."

Haley could see Karen's face brighten at the mention of her son.

"As I left Nathan's room to go and see them, I heard Brooke interrogating Nathan about who had spent the night." She said with a slight smile. "It was actually quite funny because I could picture Nathan standing there being uncomfortable, so I decided to just wait at the top of the stairs and let him squirm some more."

Karen giggled at this. She had known Brooke Davis for years now and knew how nosey and pushy should could be when trying to get her hands on some more gossip.

"But… But then she started talking about how Nathan had been sleeping around a lot at college." Sobbed Haley. "It just hurts Karen. He said he loved me, but he's been having sex with random girls at school? I could never have done that to him."

Karen didn't know what to say. It was obvious Haley's heart was breaking at the thought of her husband with another woman, or more accurately, with many other women.

"Did you talk to him about it?"

"No. I just had to get out of there. I don't think he even knows I heard it. I can't talk to him right now. I need to figure out what to do." Said Haley standing up to go to her room

"Haley" Karen called out. "Please just promise me you won't leave again".

Haley just kept walking.


	23. I want that too?

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or any of its characters.**

Nathan was really worried about Haley. He couldn't figure out why Haley had left the way she did. He needed to talk to her and find out what was going on.

"Nate. Nate!" yelled Lucas trying to get his brother's attention.

They were all sitting in the lounge room chilling out. The girls were talking about Haley and the baby. Brooke was trying to convince Peyton that the baby was definitely a girl. While Peyton was telling her friend, that just because she wanted it to be a girl, didn't mean it was going to happen.

Jake and Luke had been playing NBA Live for the past hour, but Luke had noticed that his brother had been quiet for a while, so decided it was time for them to have a chat about what happened earlier. Nathan had been changing the subject every time they mentioned Haley.

"What?" Nathan asked realising his brother was trying to get his attention.

"So are you going to tell us what happened with Haley." He asked gently

"Nothing to tell" Nathan said looking away.

By this point, everyone was interested in the conversation. They had all been dying to know what had happened between their two friends, and why Haley was acting so tense earlier.

"That's crap Nathan. And you know it!" exclaimed Brooke seriously. "It's obvious that Haley spent the night here. Which as far as I'm concerned is like the best news I've heard in a long time."

The others nodded their heads in agreement.

"However, the not so good thing was seeing how tense it was between you two this morning. Did you fight or something?" Brooke asked

"No. Look, I don't know what happened ok? I told her I loved her. She told me she loved me. We spent an amazing night together. We were really happy." Nathan told his friends.

"Something must have happened! Haley looked pretty upset about something and she said that you weren't back together. Just that you got together to talk about the baby." Brooke said getting frustrated. Surely Nathan must know more than he was letting on.

"I told you. I don't know. Everything was fine last night and then this morning she was… well you saw how she was acting." Nathan said trying not to cry

"Oh shit" Luke said. He had just figured it all out. He flashed back to seeing Haley on the staircase while Brooke was hassling Nathan. She had heard it all.

The group looked at him expectantly, but he remained silent trying to figure out the best way to break it to Nathan. He didn't want his brother to get upset with his girlfriend and he didn't want her feeling guilty.

"For God's sake Luke. Spit it out!" yelled Brooke

"Nate. I think Haley heard us talking this morning." He said to his brother

"Ok. So?" Nathan asked.

Luke looked at Brooke for a moment, before turning back to Nathan.

"Oh. No!" Brooke gasped as she realised what Lucas was talking about. "This is all my fault. I'm so sorry Nathan. I didn't know she was there"

"What the hell are you guys talking about?" demanded Nathan

"Haley must have heard me teasing you about all the girls you slept with at Duke" explained Brooke timidly

Nathan jumped to his feet. "I've got to go see her" he said as he ran out of the house towards his car.

"This is not good" sighed Peyton

* * *

Nathan went to Karen's Café. When he entered and realised Haley wasn't there, he began to panic. Maybe she had left town. He couldn't handle that again.

"Nathan"

He turned around to see Karen behind the counter. He walked over quickly.

"Hi Karen. Do you know where Haley is? She said she was working today."

"Yeah, actually she's been staying with me. But she's not working today" she said looking at the Nathan. "I think she just used that as an excuse to leave your place this morning" she added knowingly

"She told you?" he asked before Karen nodded back. "Is she ok? I think she might be pretty upset about something she overheard."

"Upset might be an understatement. She was shattered Nathan. And I can see why." She said before adding. "You should go talk to her before she does something stupid."

"You think she would leave again?" he asked with fear in his voice.

"I don't know. I called her on it, but she just walked away. I don't know what's going through her mind right now. But I'd go see here as soon as possible."

Nathan was about to leave before Karen stopped him. She handed him her house key.

"Just in case she's too stubborn to let you in."

"Thanks. I owe you." Said Nathan before racing out to his car.

* * *

It only took a few minutes to reach Karen's house, but it felt like forever as Nathan wondered if he was too late.

He ran up to the front door and rang the bell. He waited patiently but Haley didn't answer. Panic taking over, he unlocked the door with the key Karen gave him and headed towards Lucas' old room where he assume Haley was now staying.

Nathan slowly opened the bedroom door to find Haley sitting on the bed with her head in her hands. She looked so broken. And he had broken her. Making his way over to sit with her, he made his presence know by softly calling her name.

"Nathan?" she said upon seeing him. "What are you doing here? How did you get in?"

"Karen gave me her key, and I'm here because we need to talk. I know you overheard Brooke this morning" He said firmly

"There's nothing to talk about, Nathan. I was right. Last night was a mistake." She said looking at the floor.

Nathan grabbed her shoulders and turned her body to face him. He lifted her chin so that she was looking at him. "Don't say that Haley. It wasn't a mistake"

She just stared at him for the longest time. He didn't say anything, he just watched her face, looking for any clue of what she was thinking. Her expression was blank before he saw anger flash in her eyes.

"Were you protected?" she spat, breaking the silence. "Because we weren't, which means you put me and our baby at risk. I didn't even worry about protection because I didn't think I had to."

"God Haley. Of course I was!" Nathan said in exasperation. He knew this was his fault, but he didn't want to fight about it.

"I can't believe it. How could you do that Nate?"

"I'm sorry." Said Nathan. He was feeling extremely guilty but his defences were starting to come up. "You're the one that left without a fucking word Haley. What was I supposed to do, just sit around and hope that you came back one day. A man's got needs!"

Haley couldn't believe what she was hearing. Was he really blaming her!

"HA! A man? I don't see a man in front of me, Nathan. I see a BOY. A pathetic, horny, college boy." She let out a sad laugh. "You really had me fooled you know? But from what I hear, I guess you've had a lot of practice to perfect your acting skills. What were Brooke's exact words again? Oh yeah… 'the '_numerous_' amount of skanks you've been banging'."

She felt so much anger, hurt and betrayal. Nathan could see it written all over her face. They just stared at each other in silence for a few minutes.

Haley broke the silence. "I haven't stopped loving you and thinking about you since the day you left" she let out in a soft whisper full of pain and anguish.

Haley saw Nathan look at her in confusion.

"That's what you told me last night. I guess it was just another one of your lies, huh?" she cried

"What lies? I didn't lie to you. If I remember correctly, that's your specialty" he said referring to the charade she had taken part in when he left the hospital. As soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted them. This conversation was turning from bad to worse very quickly and he just wanted it end. From the death glare Haley was giving him, Nathan thought he wouldn't be surprised if it was the last conversation they ever had.

Then her face softened. "I love you Nathan." She stated matter of factly, looking directly into his eyes.

Nathan was taken aback. He wasn't expecting that.

"When I was gone, there was someone who wanted to be with me, but I knew that there was no way I could give myself to anybody else. Not while I still loved you. Not while you still had my heart. No way… ever."

Nathan had thought she would just start yelling at him after his last comment, but she was calm and composed. It was unsettling. Nathan realised he'd prefer the yelling.

"That's how I know you lied. You said you loved me last night, but if you really did, you couldn't have been with anyone else" she said, beginning to cry.

Nathan couldn't believe this. Their perfect night was being ruined by reality. Just like Haley feared it would. He'd made a mistake… well 'numerous' mistakes actually, but it didn't mean he didn't love her. Those girls were all just a way to protect himself, to protect his heart from the pain of losing her.

"I'm sorry Nate. I can't do this. We can't be together." She said looking into his eyes

"So what? You're just going to leave town again?" he asked accusingly

"No. I was wrong to leave before. I won't deny you your right to be a father. I know how important it is to you to be a good dad. So I'll be staying, but you need to understand that that's the only reason."

"What about us?" he asked hopefully

"God, Nathan!. Don't you get it? There is no 'us' anymore." She exclaimed trying to keep herself together

Nathan began to cry. Those words broke his heart. He needed her.

"I'm sorry Nate." Haley said brushing away his tears with her thumb. "I'm not saying this to hurt you. I do still love you. I always will, but with everything that's happened, I can see that sometimes love isn't enough."

He looked up into her eyes and had to stop himself from kissing her. Holding her. Trying to make her see that she needed him too.

As Haley watched Nathan sobbing, she couldn't stop herself from pulling him into a hug. She wanted to comfort him.

"I want us to be friends, Nate. It's the best thing for our child. I don't want our son or daughter to grow up with a mum and dad who can't even stand to be in the same room. I want us to be able to do things with our child together, so they know despite the fact we aren't a couple anymore, the three of us are still a family." Haley said truthfully, while rubbing his back.

Nathan considered what Haley was saying. At least she wasn't leaving. But could he be just friends with her? Would he be able to suppress his feelings whenever she's around? Nathan decided if it meant being a part of his child's life, then he could. It was about their baby now, and he had to remember that.

"I want that too."


	24. A Glimpse into the Future

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or any of its characters.**

**Author's Note: Thank you everyone for your reviews. They have been great. I've been surprised by how strongly everyone feels about the Naley issues, especially on whether or not Nathan should get his memory back. Well it's coming up very soon… maybe next chapter? Remember to keep reviewing.**

**Also, I'd like to know whether you want Haley to have a boy or a girl. I've been thinking about it for over 20 chapters and can't decide. Please let me know when you review.**

When Nathan got home after his confrontation with Haley, his friends were eager to find out what had transpired.

"Hey man. How'd it go with Haley?" Luke said as Nathan sat down with the two couples in the lounge room.

"I don't know. OK I guess" he replied flatly

"Oh come on Nathan. I'm gonna need more info to work with if I'm going to put on my advice cap and help you out." Said Brooke teasingly. She wanted him to open up more without pushing him.

"I think you've done enough, don't you?" Nathan snapped at her

Brooke wasn't surprised by Nathan's response. She felt terribly guilty about what happened. Sometimes she just needed to remember to keep her big mouth shut.

"Nate! It was an accident alright. She already apologised, so don't be a dick about it, ok?" Luke intervened.

"I'm sorry Brooke. It's really not your fault ok. I'm just a little upset. Thanks for your concern though" he said with sincerity

"Nate. I know it's hard, but it's probably best if you talk to us about what happened. All this mess started because you kept things bottled up inside." Peyton said looking into Nathan's eyes.

"Well, the good news is that Haley didn't leave." He said with fake cheeriness. "The bad news is that we're over" he said regretfully. He couldn't even cry anymore. There were no tears left.

"Wow. Over" said Brooke in a shocked whisper

Everyone else was silent. Well, what could they say? The poor guy had just lost his wife. The room was silent for a good ten minutes as everyone processed the thought of Nathan and Haley apart… for good.

"I get to be a dad though" Nathan said with a genuine smile. "Haley wants us to be friends and raise the baby together. She wants our child to have a real family."

"How does that work exactly?" questioned Jake. "Do you live together? Have joint custody? Weekend visitation? It's not easy raising a kid when you're not together, believe me."

"I don't know yet Jake. We decided to give each other a little space before we have that discussion. I'd rather have all this sorted out right now, but the last thing we need is to be fighting. I'll give it a little time and then we'll discuss everything." Nathan replied.

"That's all well and good Nate, but you don't have the luxury of taking your time with this. The baby will be here in less than a month. You two are going to have to organise everything before then. You don't even live in the same town" Luke said warily

"I know that Luke! But I have tread carefully here. I don't want to push her away again. She's pulling all the shots now. Whatever is best for the baby is all that matters. I don't want her getting stressed out this close to the due date." Nathan replied in a tone that clearly showed the conversation was now over.

* * *

Later that evening Luke and Brooke went over to Karen's for dinner. Lucas had been worried about the tension with Haley, but she was working at the café, so the night was spent with the three of them chatting away, mostly about college and the friends they had made at Duke. It seemed like the perfect carefree evening, but Karen was keeping a terrible secret from her son, and no matter how hard she tried to push it to the back of her mind, it kept creeping back to the surface. She knew she had to tell him soon, but not tonight.

Jake and Peyton had organised to have a romantic dinner followed by a movie. Jake's parents were looking after Jenny for the evening, so they wanted to make use of their free time together. They had felt a little guilty about leaving Nathan alone for the evening, but he had turned down their invitation to join them, saying he wanted to catch up with some old friends. It was a lie of course. He had no intention of leaving the house whatsoever. He wanted to keep his butt planted firmly on the couch, eating pizza, drinking beer and playing NBA Live. However, his plans were soon changed.

About half an hour after Jake and Peyton left, the door bell rang. Nathan got up to answer it, expecting the pizza delivery guy. Instead he found himself face to face with Mr & Mrs Jagielski along with little Jenny.

"Oh Hi Nathan. Can we please see Jake or Peyton?" Mr Jagielski asked

"I'm sorry. They've gone out for the night. Can I help you with something?" he asked, a little worried by their surprise visit.

"We can't get hold of them, and we were supposed to watch Jenny tonight, but there's been a family emergency, and we have to go out of town." Mrs Jagielski cried.

"Oh. I hope it's not too serious" Nathan replied, not knowing what to say

"My brother has been taken to the hospital. I don't think it's anything life threatening. We're not sure exactly, something to do with his heart. We just didn't want to drag Jenny to the hospital with us" she said.

Nathan looked at the girl in her arms. She was smiling at him and reaching out, trying to touch him. He wondered if he would have a daughter. If she would be adorable just like Jenny.

"Well. I'm staying home. You can leave her here with me until Jake gets back if you like." He offered, beginning to get excited about the prospect of spending time with the little girl.

"Oh. I don't know Nathan. We can't expect you to do that" started Mr Jagielski

"I really don't mind. Besides, it will be good practice" he said smiling at Jenny

"Well, if you're sure it's ok, that would be wonderful. And it is good practice for if you plan on having kids some day." She said handing Jenny to Nathan and placing her overnight bag on the floor.

"Actually, I'm about to become a dad. The baby is due in a month" he replied while Jenny happily pulled on his ear.

They both looked at Nathan shocked. They obviously didn't know about him and Haley.

"Haley and I are having a baby. Sorry, I thought you would have heard by now. News usually travels fast in Tree Hill" joked Nathan.

"Well congratulations Nathan. You two must be so excited. Please give Haley our best. How is she doing?" Mrs Jagielski asked

Nathan realised he was going to have to get used to these sorts of questions. They seemed pretty easy to answer, but they weren't. So he decided to go with the easy, no explanation option.

"She's great. Both mom and baby are fine. I'll say hello for you" he smiled tightly

"Thanks again Nate. We really appreciate it".

Nathan spent the rest of the evening playing with Jenny. It was the first time he had been alone with such a young child and although nervous, he absolutely loved every second of it. Jenny took a real shining to him and that helped settle his fears of how well he would be at taking care of his own child.

He knew Haley would be an amazing mother. She was loving, caring and patient. He really couldn't think of anyone else he would rather have raise his children. However, he had been having doubts about his own abilities. It's not like Dan or even his grandfather, Royal, were good role models. Nathan feared that he would be unable to break the cycle of bad parenting in the Scott family.

But spending time with Jake's baby girl, eased his fears and had him excitedly looking forward to the birth of his child.

A few hours later, Jenny was fed, changed and absolutely worn out. She fell asleep in his arms on the couch while he watched basketball highlights on ESPN. Not long after, Nathan found it difficult to keep his eyes open. It had been such an eventful 24 hours and before long he had also fallen asleep.

* * *

Lucas and Brooke had met up with Jake and Peyton later that evening and had gone for coffees on the riverfront. They were all shocked by the scene before them when they arrived home.

There on the couch they found the beautiful sight of Nathan sleeping peacefully with Jenny cradled in his arms. It was so heart warming to see a glimpse into Nathan's future. There was no doubt in any of their minds that he would be an excellent father.

They regretfully woke up Nathan, who explained why he was looking after Jenny. Peyton said goodnight and took Jenny upstairs to bed, followed by Lucas and Brooke, who really didn't plan on getting much sleep.

Jake sat down with Nathan on the couch and thanked him for looking after his daughter.

"It's no problem man. She was an angel. I loved it" Nathan replied with a warm smile.

"Look. I've been there Nate. I know how scary it is thinking about being responsible for such an innocent little baby." Jake spoke softly "And even though it's hard at first, it becomes easier, almost naturally. You're a good guy Nate, and you're gonna be a great dad."

Jake stood up and patted Nathan's shoulder reassuringly before going upstairs to join his girlfriend and daughter.

* * *

It was late Sunday afternoon and Nathan was packing the last bag into his car when he noticed a figure out of the corner of his eye. It was Haley.

They hadn't seen each other since Friday when they decided to take some space before figuring out the details of how the 'friends and parents' thing was going to work.

Nathan had felt the need to finalise their arrangements while he was still in Tree Hill, but realised Haley was right when she expressed her concerns about them needing some time to cool off and think things through. The last thing they needed was to get in another argument. It wouldn't help their relationship and it was bad for the baby.

"Hey" he greeted, trying to keep the surprise out of his voice.

"Hey" she replied softly, while staring at her hands.

"I wasn't expecting to see you"

"We're friends right?" she said with the smile he loved so much. He nodded. "Well friends say goodbye to each other."

"Look, Haley… I hate leaving you here. We haven't even really sorted anything out yet. I just feel like… I'm abandoning you or something"

Haley knew this would be awkward, but she wanted to at least have some sort of conversation before he left town. When he left, she wanted them to be on good term.

"We'll be fine. You and I can talk soon. You can call or come and visit me when you have time, and we'll figure this stuff out ok." She said sincerely. "Just have fun at school. And good luck on Friday. You're gonna play great. UConn don't stand a chance!" she said playfully.

Nathan was surprised. How did Haley know which team he was playing?

"We've been watching your games" said Haley with a smile while patting her stomach.

He was even more surprised now. He never expected that she would have actually followed his basketball career while she was in Florida. It filled him pride that she cared so much. A wide grin emerged on his face as he walked over and bent down so that his face was next to her belly.

"I love you. Be good for your mummy and try not to kick her too much." Nathan spoke to his unborn child as Haley laughed at his last comment.

Nathan stood up and hugged her. "I'm gonna miss you Hales" he whispered into her ear. Haley shuddered a little upon feeling his warm breath on her neck. Nathan pulled back to look into her eyes.

"I'll see you soon. Really soon. Ok?"

"Ok" she replied still reeling from his penetrating gaze. His eyes were her weakness.

Nathan leaned in to place a friendly peck on her cheek. All he wanted to do was crush his lips upon hers, but instead settled for a soft kiss on the corner of her mouth. Neither pulled away, so the kiss lingered for a little too long. Haley was the one to break the contact. She smiled warmly at him and said "See you later Nate", before turning around and walking away.

Nathan stood there watching after her until she disappeared from view. He jumped in his car and started the journey back to Duke. Back to his other life. The life without his wife and child. But instead of getting upset and fearing for what the future held, he kept a genuine smile on his face. Things would work out.

He leaned over and opened the glove compartment. He kept his eyes on the road while searching for something that, although he wasn't sure why, was important to them and symbolised hope for the future.

"There it is"

Nathan looked at the colourful plastic bracelet in his hand. He had taken it from Haley's apartment the day she left. He still didn't know the exact significance of this cheap piece of jewellery. All he knew was that it stirred up butterflies in his stomach and had appeared in his dreams more than once. This bracelet could be the key to remembering. The key to getting his life back.


	25. It's All Coming Back To Me Now

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or any of its characters.**

**_Author's Note: Hi everyone. I just realised that in the last couple of chapters I have referred to Nathan's college as Duke, when it should have been UNC. Sorry. Now to the important stuff for this chapter!_**

_**One word: Naley**_

* * *

Nathan had spent the past few days thinking of nothing but Haley and the baby. He wished that he could be with them, but she needed her space. His feelings for Haley were so intense, that sometimes he felt like he could instantaneously combust. So he couldn't imagine what she was going through. She had so many memories of their life together. She had been in love with him for over two years, while he only remembered knowing her for a little under six months . Nathan knew it must be difficult for her.

It was now Friday afternoon and normally he would be psyching himself up for the game, but Nathan was exhausted. His dreams had returned and were getting stranger and more vivid every night. Each morning he woke up as though he'd never gotten any sleep at all. With each dream he had, he felt like he was getting closer to remembering, but only woke up tired and frustrated. His memories were so close, yet so far.

As he lay on his bed playing with the bracelet on his wrist, Nathan's eyes closed shut and he fell asleep and dreamt a montage of scenes.

_Nathan watched as Lucas chatted happily with Haley at his locker. _

_Nathan and Haley sat at the Market Street docks. He placed the bracelet on her wrist. 'Don't say I never gave you anything'._

_Nathan sitting by Lucas' bedside at the hospital as Lucas touched his hand and woke up._

_Nathan and Haley standing on the beach reciting their wedding vows in front of her parents._

_Nathan and Haley making love for the first time on their wedding night and Haley looking into his eyes saying 'Always and Forever'._

_Haley screaming his name as he jumped off a bridge into the river below._

He woke up with a start, covered in perspiration and knew it wasn't just a dream. Those were memories. The emotions those images had conjured up were real. He was getting his memory back.

Nathan felt different. It was like someone was turning on a light in his brain. He saw things so differently and felt them so differently. As he though with of each of those memories of Haley, Nathan's love for her grew even deeper. He had been able to feel their connection, and knew it would only get stronger the more he remembered.

He jumped off the bed, grabbing his keys and wallet before racing out of his room. He had to see his wife. With this new part of his memory opened, it almost felt like he hadn't seen her since the day they renewed their vows, the day of the accident. It was like the Nathan hadn't really been present for the past eight months, because if he had, the current situation with Haley would not be happening. He would never have let her get away from him and he would never have betrayed her by fucking other women. He felt a little disgusted thinking about being touched by someone other than his wife. The old Nathan was back and he was going to get his wife back too.

* * *

Haley had spent the week trying not to think about Nathan. She even worked a few extra shifts at the café to keep herself occupied, because when she was alone, she struggled not to call him.

Haley felt she had made the right decision. She loved her husband very much, but after finding out about his 'activities' over the last couple of months, she realised that he was different to the man she married. She knew Nathan loved her, but without his memories, he didn't have the same undying love for her that he had before the accident. There was just something missing.

Doing the 'friends' thing with Nathan was going to be really difficult, but she wanted him to be a part of their baby's life, and this way he could still be a part of hers. To be honest, the moment Haley told Nathan she wanted them to be just friends, was the moment she realised she had lost hope of him ever recovering his memories.

It broke her heart, but she was determined to still be there for him, even if it was only as a close friend. She would give him the chance to move on and find someone else.

"Who am I kidding?" she asked herself as she lay on her bed resting. "This isn't just for him. This is for me. I'm not strong enough to be with him if he doesn't love me the way he used to. If he doesn't love me the way I still love him."

A couple of hours later Haley was in Karen's lounge room eating dinner. Karen was at the café until closing tonight, so she had decided to watch Nathan's game. However, she was surprised to find that Nathan was not playing. The commentator had no explanation for his absence, just that the Tar Heels coach had stated it was a personal matter.

Haley began to worry and was about to call Nathan's cell phone when she heard the door bell and went to answer it. She was shocked to find Nathan standing in the doorway.

"What are you doing here?" she asked. "What about the game?"

Nathan still hadn't said anything, he just gazed at her intensely. With some of his memories back, he felt overwhelmed seeing her in front of him. He moved forward and pulled her into a deep kiss. Haley immediately responded. She felt the intense love and need in his kiss. It was different. Something she hadn't felt from him in a long time. They parted for some much needed air, and once again he was silent.

"Nathan? Say something" she pleaded, still a little confused by his behaviour.

He responded with "Always and Forever."

She gasped. Did he remember?

"That's what we promised Hales. Always and Forever"

Nathan, who was still wearing the bracelet, removed it from his wrist and placed it on hers. She was once again looking at him in awe.

"Don't say I never gave you anything" he said with a smirk as he saw the realisation in her eyes.

Haley practically threw herself at him, placing her arms around his neck and whispering in his ear "Nathan. I've missed you so much. It just hasn't been the same". The tears began to flow freely.

Nathan pulled away and looked into her eyes. "I want us to be together Hales. We can't be just friends. We'll never be just friends."

"I know" she said breathlessly before kissing him with a passion she hadn't felt in such a long time.

After having what could be described as a long and heavy make out session, Nathan and Haley began to discuss their future. They had both agreed that they wanted to be husband and wife again and raise their child together. Now it was just deciding on the logistics of it all.

"I could come back to Tree Hill" offered Nathan

"No!" Haley shrieked. Upon seeing Nathan's questioning expression she continued "I can't let you leave school Nathan. You've worked so hard to get where you are. And now you're playing college ball which is what you always wanted. You love it"

"I love you more" he responded without hesitation "I want to be with you and our baby, Hales"

"You're not leaving school Nathan." Haley responded adamantly, still feeling butterflies from his last statement.

"Fine. I'll get an apartment off campus. You'll move in with me." He said matter-of-factly.

Haley's stomach did flips when she heard this. She was so excited that Nathan wanted her to come and live with him, but then she remembered her promise to Karen.

"I… I can't Nathan" she whispered hesitantly, knowing his response would not be a good one.

"Haley." He pleaded, his voice full of hurt. "I thought you wanted us to be a family again?"

"Baby, I do… but I can't leave right now" she said pleading with her eyes for him to understand

"Why?" he said with an edge coming into his voice

"It's just… I can't really explain" she replied. She couldn't betray Karen's confidence.

"Haley! What could possibly be more important than this? Than us?"

Haley began to cry. It was all getting too much. Every one of their conversations over the last few months had started well and ended in a huge fight. It looked like this wouldn't be any different. She didn't want to be fighting with her husband, especially not now that she had only just gotten him back.

"Please understand Nathan. I just can't leave Tree Hill yet"

Nathan was getting extremely upset. Why was she doing this? He thought now that he was getting his memory back, everything would start to fall into place. The last thing he wanted was to say something he would regret.

"Look. Haley, I don't wanna get into a fight with you, so I'm just gonna go for a walk and cool off ok?" he said as calmly as possible.

"Ok" she said through her tears, knowing this was how he handled himself in these situations. At least he planned on coming back this time.

* * *

Nathan walked around tree hill for about half an hour trying to process his conversation with Haley. He was still really upset with her and couldn't understand why she was refusing to move in with him, but he had cooled off a fair bit and decided to grab some desert from Karen's Café to take back to Haley.

As soon as Nathan entered the café, Karen could see the tension on his face.

"Hi Nathan. I wasn't expecting to see you around tonight. Haley said you had a game on."

"I came to see her." He said shortly.

"I take it things didn't go too well?" she asked

"God Karen. I don't know what's going on. We talked and decided to be together again as husband and wife" he started

Karen was surprised and her face showed it.

"Oh. I've gotten some of my memories back." He added trying to explain his and Haley's sudden change of heart.

"Nathan! That's great. Haley has been praying for this" she said excitedly

"Well the way she's acting, you wouldn't think so" he said with exasperation. "She doesn't want me to leave school to come back with her in Tree Hill, but she won't move into an apartment with me near school. She won't even give me a reason. She just keeps saying she can't leave yet!"

It dawned on Karen that Haley was refusing to go with Nathan because of her. Haley had promised to help Karen with the café while she was having chemotherapy, and Haley wasn't one to go back on a promise.

"I'm sure she'll come around" said Karen distractedly as she grabbed her handbag from under the counter. "I'm sorry Nathan, I just remembered something I have to do" she said before quickly leaving the café to go talk with Haley.

* * *

Haley was still sitting on the couch thinking about Nathan when she was brought out of her reverie.

"You're moving in with Nathan" Karen said as soon as she entered the house. Before Haley could respond, she continued "You have just been given the love of your life back. You will not stay here and risk losing him again."

"No. Karen. You need my help, and I'm not leaving you" Haley told her

"I'm going to be fine Haley. I've been feeling a lot better and the doctor thinks I will be in remission soon. Besides, Deb is coming back next week and she can help me with the cafe."

"Fine. I'll go with Nathan… if you tell Luke the truth" Haley said challengingly

"I can't. He doesn't need to worry."

"He deserves to know Karen. Do you remember how you felt when he lied to you about his HCM? It's the same thing" Haley pleaded

"Ok. I'll tell him." Karen said with a smile. "Now, I'm going back to the café, and I think you have some packing to do"

Haley hugged Karen and thanked her for her support and advice before she returned to the café.

Haley picked up her phone and dialled a number that she hadn't called in a long time.

* * *

Nathan stood outside the front door for a few moments getting himself prepared for the inevitable argument he was about to have with his wife.

He found the lounge room empty and would have panicked a little, had he not heard Haley singing in her room. He walked to the open doorway and saw her packing a suitcase. And there was the panic again.

"Haley? What's going on?" he said with a little fear in his voice

"I'm packing" she said nonchalantly

"Why?" he demanded

"Well you don't really expect me to go to with you to Chapel Hill without any of my stuff, do you?" she said teasingly with a smirk

"Really? You're coming back with me?" he asked grinning widely

"Yep. I just spoke to Peyton and she said I can stay with her until we find an apartment."

Nathan couldn't believe she had changed her mind. He couldn't stop smiling until he realised he would be stuck in his dorm room without her until they could find a place to share.

Noticing his face fall slightly, Haley added "She said I could bring my boyfriend with me If wanted." Just as Nathan smiled again she joked "But I don't know… I told her he can be kind of a handful sometimes. He might be too much trouble."

Nathan laughed at her joke and pulled her into a gentle embrace. "What made you change your mind?" he asked curiously

"Karen." She said pulling away from him. "Nathan, I'm telling you this because you deserve an explanation, but you have to promise to keep it a secret."

"Of course." he said seriously, wondering what this secret could be.

"Karen has cancer. She's been having chemotherapy."

"Oh." Said Nathan obviously surprised and concerned

"When I first came back Karen and I decided to support each other. I would help her at the café when she was too run down to do it herself, and after the baby was born, she would baby-sit while I was working."

"Is.. Is she going to be ok?" he asked hesitantly, not wanting to upset Haley

"She just told me that it looks like she is going into remission. And she promised me that she would tell Luke soon… if I promised to leave with you"

"So that's why you said you couldn't come with me?" She nodded. "And that was the only reason?"

"Yes Nate. That was the only reason." She said stroking his cheek lovingly

"You're amazing, you know that?" he said as Haley blushed. "You're always looking out for everyone else. That's one of the many reasons why I fell in love with you"


	26. Hope For The Future

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or any of its characters.**

**_Author's Note: Once again, thanks for the reviews. I'm glad you're all happy to have some Naley-ness. I'd still like some opinions on the sex of the baby, because it's pretty even at this stage. Also, I'm sorry that this chapter is a little shorter than usual, but I've been really busy and just wanted to make sure I still update every day._**

Nathan lay with Haley in his arms and a profound feeling of peace came over him. The sun shone lightly through the curtain and Nathan couldn't help but notice the warm glow it gave her skin. Haley was of course still asleep. Long gone was the old 'Tutorgirl' up at the crack of dawn. Pregnancy was exhausting and Haley had become accustomed to sleeping in. It probably didn't help that her husband had given her a thorough 'workout' the night before.

The couple had just spent their first night at Jake and Peyton's apartment. Nathan had worried that it would be a little too cramped with the five of them living in the 3 bedroom home, but it was quite spacious and Nathan and Haley's room was at the opposite end of the apartment to the other two bedrooms, therefore giving them some privacy. The bedroom itself was quite large, with a small walk in robe and it also had an ensuite with a bath. They had both been so excited to find they had a bath of their own. It was one of their favourite ways to spend time together.

Nathan had been awake for about twenty minutes just watching her sleep before he felt himself starting to doze off again. That was until he heard a light tapping on the door, which he went to answer before it woke Haley up.

"Hey Peyton. What's up?" he asked

Peyton saw Nathan clad only in his boxers and looked past him to see a peacefully sleeping Haley.

"Sorry to wake you up." She said slightly embarrassed. "Jake and I are taking Jenny out for the day. We won't be back until late. I just wanted to let you know"

Nathan knew that they were only going out so that he and Haley could have some time to themselves. He felt a little guilty about Jake and Peyton leaving their own home to give the couple space, but he was relieved and grateful at the same time.

"Ok. Well have a good time. We'll see you later" he said with a smile

Just before Nathan closed the door, he heard Peyton calling "There's plenty of food, help yourselves to whatever you need"

Nathan closed the door and turned ready to go back to bed and sleep, when he saw Haley propped up on one elbow smiling at him.

"Got the place to ourselves, huh?" she said raising one eyebrow suggestively

Nathan didn't even respond, he just ran and jumped on the bed before kissing his wife passionately.

"God, I love you" he said as they pulled apart

"I could get used to this you know?"

"Well you'd better. Because we are going to have mornings like this for the rest of our lives" he whispered into her ear before placing kisses down her neck. Nathan was starting to lose himself in her and the taste of her skin when he heard her giggle. He ignored it, but then she began laugh heartily.

"Not really the response I was looking for babe" Nathan said sarcastically, but Haley continued to giggle. He looked at her questioningly

"Nate. As much as I love this. Waking up with you like this… Don't get used to it" she said softly

Nathan's mind went into panic mode. What does she mean 'don't get used to it'? Wasn't she in this for the long haul, just like he was. Didn't she want to together forever, like he did? Haley saw his confusion and worry.

"Nathan. In a couple of weeks our mornings will consist of waking up at 5:30 am to the sound of our baby screaming. Not to mention the fact that we probably only got a couple of hours sleep due to the many night time feeds and diaper changes."

"Yeah" he said thoughtfully before a wide grin spread across his face

Haley looked at her husband lost in thought. They hadn't really had a chance to talk about the reality of having a baby yet. Was he ready for it?

"It's gonna be great hales" he said looking into her eyes.

"Which part? The screaming? The midnight feeds? Or the diaper changes?" she asked with a smirk

"All of it. I can't wait to go through all of it Haley. I can't wait to go through all of it with you."

Haley knew he meant every word. She could see how much he loved her and how much he loved their child. It made her so unbelievably happy.

"You're going to be an amazing father, Nate." She said softly. "We're so lucky to have you. I love you."

Nathan's confidence about becoming a father had been gradually improving. The time he had spent with Jenny had helped, as well as Jakes reassuring words, but nothing felt as good as hearing the words spill so easily from her mouth. After all, hers was the most important opinion to him. And if she had faith in him, then he knew he could do it. He could be a good dad and avoid the mistakes his own parents made.

Nathan captured her lips in a soft, gentle kiss, which soon deepened as Haley's tongue sought entrance to his mouth before their hands roamed over each others bodies. Nathan's hand soon found its way down over her stomach, sliding into her already moist folds. He loved how much she wanted him and how she was already for him. Gently, massaging her centre, Nathan revelled in the sound of soft moans escaping from within her throat.

"God, Nate, you always did know how to drive me crazy" she breathed as her head rolled back on her pillow. Nathan continued his ministrations as he watched the rapture on her face. He made his way further down the bed, his hand never stopping its soft circular motion, which is probably why Haley didn't even notice he had left her side. She did however notice when the feeling of his hand was quickly replaced with his hot wet tongue.

"Oh God" she cried as her hips automatically arched up to him.

Nathan could tell by her heavy breathing and the movement of her hips that it wouldn't be long until she came. He sped up the movement of his tongue over her clit and placed a finger inside of her, sliding up and down slowly, eliciting another low moan from his wife. He added another finger and increased the speed of his thrusts. Within seconds her muscles tightened around his fingers and her body convulsed as she called his name breathlessly. Nathan continued to move his tongue over her slowly while she rode out her orgasm, but soon scooted back up the bed to kiss her lovingly.

"That was… WOW" she said after a few minutes, watching the infamous Nathan Scott smirk appear.

"I do my best" he said huskily.

"Besides, I'm just trying to make the most of it." He said meekly

"Huh?" she asked

Nathan looked at her a bit embarrassed. "Well, I kind of heard that a lot of women sort of lose their sex drive after giving birth." He said looking away from her.

Haley lifted his chin with her finger. "Well, I don't think I could ever get enough of your lovin', Mr Scott" she purred jokingly.

Nathan smiled at her, then stated in a serious tone "I know it may not happen to you Hales, but I need you to know that it won't bother me if you do… lose your sex drive, I mean." Nathan sighed, slightly flustered. "That didn't come out right. I mean, of course it would bother me in some ways. God, I could make love to you all day every day and I'd be happy, but… what I'm trying to say is, that I don't want you to rush. After the baby comes, we don't have to do anything until you are ready and willing. Ok?"

"Ok. I know you wouldn't push Nate, and even though I really doubt it will be a problem, I appreciate your understanding and support."

She kissed him lightly before pulling away to look at him.

"That's one of the many reasons why I fell in love with you" she said using the same words he had spoken to her a few days earlier.

The rest of the day was spent making love and talking about anything and everything. They were so comfortable with each other and had no trouble opening up and expressing how they felt. They discussed what they wanted their new apartment to be like. What it was going to be like looking after a baby. How they would manage to support themselves after the baby was born. But mostly they just enjoyed being together with real hope for their future.


	27. The Shopping Nazi

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or any of its characters.**

_**Author's Note: I'm soooo sorry. I know I missed an update yesterday, but I just couldn't do it. I had a crazy charity fundraiser thing and it was a huge night. I'm sure you would rather wait for some decent writing than getting some crap I wrote while totally hung over. **_

_**Moving on… you know what's really weird? Nathan and Haley are totally happy at the moment and it disturbs me. I just keep getting that horrible feeling that something bad is gonna happen… which is stupid coz I'm writing the damn story and I decide what happens! Maybe I'm just so used to all the angst and drama, that I can't handle the fluffy Naley-ness! Enjoy and please review.**_

Haley woke up to the sound of the shower running and her husband humming something completely out of tune. She smiled to herself as she thought about everything that had happened to them in the past eight or so months and how they still managed to end up here, together and deliriously happy.

"Morning gorgeous" Nathan smirked as he came out of the bathroom wrapped in only a towel.

"Good Morning" replied Haley as she leered at his perfectly sculpted torso.

Nathan could never get enough of his wife looking at him that way. It turned him on, knowing that she was still so attracted to him. He watched as she went from being slightly sleepy into seductress mode.

"How about you come back to bed for a while?" she asked with a glimmer in her eye.

"Oh. No. I have classes this morning. I haven't been to school in a week and I'm already behind." Nathan replied, determined to stand his ground.

"Oh. Ok." Haley said as nonchalantly as she could before turning over nestling into the sheets.

'Wow. That was easy' Nathan thought to himself as gathered his clothing for the day. He really didn't want to leave her today, but it was important that he catch up with some school work now, because he planned to take at least a month off after the baby was born.

Haley lay there pretending to be asleep, listening to him getting dressed. She knew he had classes, but lately she couldn't control her hormones. And right then, her hormones were screaming 'I want him now'. Haley decided it was time to get a little sneaky. As subtly as possible she moved the sheet down so that her whole back was exposed to him.

Nathan, now fully dressed stood up from his position on the bed, ready to get his back pack and shoes before leaving for school. He turned around for one last look at his wife, and immediately regretted it. She lay on her side, her hair flowing over her bare shoulders, fanning out on the pillow. Her completely naked back exposing smooth golden skin. His eyes ran down from her neck to just above her ass where he saw her tattoo. His jersey number '23' was clearly visible above the bed sheet. God, how that tattoo still drove him crazy every time he laid eyes on it. It was almost primal, like he had marked his territory, but what made it sexier was that she had marked it for him. She had willingly told the world that she belonged to him, and only him, forever.

Haley knew he was watching her. She could feel his eyes burning into her flesh. She smiled. She knew she had won this battle, there was no way he could resist her. She felt the bed move before his hand gently ran down her back and placed soft circles around her tattoo. She turned to look him.

"I thought you had class" she said innocently

"I suppose I could be a little late" he replied smirking

"I'll write you a note" she said before kissing his lips hungrily.

* * *

Brooke stood outside the Jagielski / Sawyer / Scott residence waiting with annoyance for someone to answer the door.

"Oh. Come on. I'm gonna die of old age out here!" she yelled to anyone inside

A few seconds later, Haley appeared in a dishevelled state wearing only her bathrobe.

"Hey Brooke. Come in" she said ignoring her friend's earlier impatient outburst

Brooke followed Haley into the kitchen where she was preparing some tea. Haley offered her a drink, but Brooke declined. Noticing Haley's current tousled state and the fact that she obviously only just got out of bed, Brooke was suspicious that Haley planned to ditch their shopping date, for more 'exciting' activities with Nathan. Well, Brooke Davis would not stand for it. They were going shopping whether Haley wanted to or not. And Nathan Scott would not ruin her plans for the day. With that thought, she marched down the hall to Haley and Nathan's room, barging straight through the door.

"All right Scott. Get your ass out here now! You need to leave, so that I can have some time with my favourite mommy-to-be. Ok?" demanded Brooke. There was no reply, and no Nathan, so she checked the bathroom not caring if she caught him naked. 'Seen one Scott. Why not see the other' she thought to herself with a cheeky grin. But once again, there was no Nathan, so she returned to Haley in the kitchen.

"He's not here Brooke. He had classes this morning." Haley replied, amused by Brooke's antics.

"I just kinda assumed that you guys were having some boring married sex." She said with a smirk "And there was no way I was going to let you ditch me for boring married sex today"

"Well we weren't" lied Haley avoiding Brooke's gaze

"Oh. Well… you look especially glowy this morning and your hair's all… you know… and the robe…"

"Maybe I was just 'Brooking myself" Haley responded trying to stifle a laugh.

"Really?" asked Brooke completely shocked by Haley's comment

"No." she scoffed. There was a long silence and Haley knew Brooke was about to explode with a barrage of questions, so she continued "Nathan just left and we did have sex. But I definitely don't think anyone could consider it boring." Haley gave Brooke her cheekiest grin before going to her bedroom to get dressed.

"Ok. I believe you. I mean… if he's anything like Lucas…" she yelled, knowing how much Haley hated to hear about Brooke and her best friend's sex life.

* * *

Nathan finished his last class and made his way to the cafeteria. His sexcapades with Haley this morning had left him with no time to eat breakfast. He grabbed a sandwich and a soda before sitting down at one of the empty tables. He could not stop thinking about her. She was so amazing. He loved everything about her. The way she looked, the way she spoke, all of her quirky little mannerisms. Then for probably the hundredth time that morning, his mind wandered to how great their sex life is. It had always been great, but lately, it was absolutely mind-blowing. Nathan had at first thought it was due to Haley's crazy hormones, but he was beginning to think that it had more to do with the fact that they came so close to losing each other. Neither wanted to hold back what they were feeling for the other, so every ounce of passion, love and lust they felt, was released whey they were together.

"Geez, man. You think you could wipe the 'I had some really great sex' look off your face. I really don't wanna be thinking about Hales that way, ok?" joked Lucas with a smirk as he took the seat opposite his brother.

"You have been spending way too much time with Brooke" joked Nathan, a little surprised by his brother's bluntness.

"I could never spend too much time with her" replied Lucas with a dreamy expression.

Nathan watched his brother closely. He could see that Lucas was totally in love. Nathan would be the first to admit that in the beginning, he didn't really see their relationship working, but it did, and they were both really happy.

"I'm happy for you guys" said Nathan seriously.

"Thanks, Nate." Said Lucas with a genuine smile. "If I tell you something, will you promise to keep it a secret?"

"Yeah. Of course."

"I mean. Even from Haley?" asked Lucas

Nathan didn't like the sound of that. He didn't want there to be any secrets between him and his wife. It only leads to trouble. Lucas could see the conflicted look in Nathan's eye.

"It's nothing that affects either of you, I promise. And she will find out soon anyway."

"Ok. What is it?" Nathan asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

Lucas reached into his back pack and pulled out a velvet jewellery box, which he opened, showing a beautiful diamond ring.

"Is that…?" Nathan asked in shock

"Yep. I'm gonna ask Brooke to marry me" said Lucas with a grin

* * *

"Oooh. What about this one?" exclaimed Brooke holding up her millionth baby outfit for the day.

Haley looked up from the magazine she was reading and nodded her head without enthusiasm. They had been shopping for four hours and had been to every single baby shop at the mall. Haley knew her friend was excited about the baby, and she appreciated her generosity with buying clothes and toys, but shopping with Brooke was more of an ordeal than a fun day out. At first it had been great and she had bought some cute little unisex outfits for the baby, but now she was just tired and her back was aching, it was becoming almost unbearable.

"Tutorwife. I'm just gonna go back to 'Pumpkin Patch' around the corner and get that cute little blanket you liked. Wanna come with, or do you wanna sit here and wait for me?" asked Brooke, sensing that Haley had had enough.

"I'll wait." Said Haley before Brooke left the store.

Haley finished reading the magazine and realised that Brooke had been gone for over twenty minutes. 'Great. She's probably bought out the whole freakin' store' she thought to herself. She moved to get up, but felt a pain in her lower back and sat back down, rubbing the tender spot.

"I'm gonna kill her, if she doesn't get back here soon" said Haley through gritted teeth.

* * *

Peyton made her way to the cafeteria for some much needed brain food. She had a full day of classes and wasn't sure how she would survive through the afternoon. After grabbing some food, she noticed Nathan and Luke and made her way over to them.

"Hey guys" she said sitting down next to Nathan.

"Hi Peyt." Said Lucas.

"Hey. How are you doing?" asked Nathan.

"Well. Considering you hadn't even surfaced when I left the house this morning, I'd say I'm not doing as goodl as you" she joked teasingly.

Nathan blushed. He just hoped that he and Haley hadn't been too loud.

"Moving on. So Luke, how's Brooke? I haven't seen her in a couple of days." She asked

"She's good. Her room mate is driving her nuts, but besides that, everything's great." Replied Lucas thinking about how much better she will be after he's proposed to her.

"Yeah. Her room mate is a total freak. I would have moved out by now" said Peyton

"Actually, we've been talking about getting a place of our own off campus. It's just that it can be hard to spend quality time together when you've got room mates around all the time." He said

"Quality time, huh?" laughed Nathan

Now it was Lucas' turn to blush.

"Like you can talk little brother." Retorted Lucas. He gave Nathan a look that said 'you better shut up or I'll keep going'.

Peyton just laughed at her friend's antics. It had been such a long time since everyone had been so happy. It was like their lives were finally falling into place. Nathan and Haley were back to being the sickeningly happy couple. Brooke and Lucas were closer than ever. And she had Jake and Jenny back. Life was good.

Peyton's thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of her cell phone.

"Hello?"

"Oh My God. Peyton, thank God you answered. It's an emergency. I need your help." Haley said on the other end.

"Haley? Is it time? Are you having the baby? Where are you?"


	28. Jayden Strikes Again

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or any of its characters.**

_**Author's Note: I felt guilty about missing an update, so here is another one to make up for it.**_

****

At the mention of his wife's name, Nathan's head shot up. Was she having the baby? She couldn't be. It was too early, she wasn't due yet.

"What? No, of course not. I'm not due for another two weeks." Said Haley

"Well, then what's the emergency?" asked Peyton slightly relieved

"I'm at the mall with Brooke!" Haley exclaimed

"Um, still not getting the emergency" said a frustrated Peyton

"She's dragged me along to buy baby stuff! She's turning into a shopping nazi! I need back up before my child ends up in ridiculously expensive, not to mention totally ridiculous looking, baby couture clothing" Haley whined.

"God. Haley. You almost gave me a heart attack!"

Haley realised what must have been going through her friend's mind when she rang out of the blue claiming to have an emergency. How could she be so stupid? She was about to apologise when she heard her husband's voice on the phone.

"Haley? Is everything ok? What's going on?" he asked desperately

"Nathan?" she asked.

"Haley! Just answer me. I'm freaking out here!"

"I'm fine Nate. The baby is fine. I'm sorry I scared you guys, I was just trying to get Peyton to come and rescue me from Brooke, the shopping Nazi" she said

Nathan sighed with relief. "She's driving you crazy huh?" he joked

"A Little" she replied. There was a long silence before she continued "Ok. A lot. We've been shopping for over four hours and I'm just exhausted. I know she means well, and she's been really great picking out stuff for the baby, but I just wanna lay down for a while."

"Your at the mall?" he asked

"Yeah."

"I'll be there in fifteen minutes. Meet me out front." He said.

"Thanks Nate. I'll go tell Brooke she can continue without me and I'll see you soon." She said "I love you"

"I love you too babe." Nathan said before handing Peyton back the phone.

Lucas chuckled over the whole incident. "Trust Haley to overreact. She's always been a bit of a drama queen"

Nathan glared at his brother and Peyton knew there was an argument coming.

"Shut up Luke. She wouldn't have called if it wasn't for your fiancé. I know she means well, but seriously, she should know better than dragging an eight and half month pregnant woman around the mall for four hours.

Luke was about to bite back, but was interrupted by Peyton.

"Fiancé?" she asked looking between the Scott brothers

Nathan realised his mistake and looked at his brother apologetically.

"Nice one man." He muttered angrily

"I'm sorry" replied Nathan

"Why didn't I know about this? I can't believe she didn't tell me. No… scratch that. I can't believe the whole world doesn't know! It's Brooke we're talking about" she said more to herself than anyone else.

Nathan got up from his seat and said "I've gotta go get Haley. Luke will explain" he said smiling cockily at his brother

"You're such an ass sometimes Nate. You owe me big time" he yelled after his brother who was exiting the cafeteria.

Peyton sat there looking at him impatiently waiting for an explanation.

"We're not engaged… yet. I've bought the ring and I'm gonna ask her soon. I only just told Nate before you joined us. It was supposed to be a secret."

"My lips are sealed." Peyton said with a smile. "I'm so happy for you guys."

"Thanks"

* * *

A couple of days later Haley and Peyton were home alone while Jenny was taking a nap. Peyton had noticed some tension between Nathan and Haley and decided to talk to her about it.

"Haley. Is there something wrong? You and Nathan have seemed a little tense the last few days." She asked softly as they both sat on the couch.

"Um… actually there is something bothering me. Maybe you could give me some advice"

"Ok. Well what is it?"

"You heard about Jayden, right?" asked Haley

"Yeah. What about him?" Peyton asked tentatively.

"Well, I got a letter from him. It was this long spiel about how much he loved me and he knows we're meant to be together and how Nathan doesn't deserve me." Haley could see Peyton getting uncomfortable. She was obviously worried about this so Haley quickly added "I threw it out as soon as I read it. I used to have feelings for him, as a friend, but after what he did at the café to ruin my relationship with Nate, I don't want anything to do with him.

"Good. So what's the problem?"

"I think Nathan found the letter."

"I thought you said you threw it out?" asked a confused Peyton

"I did. But I wasn't thinking and I just put it in the waste paper basket in our room. Nathan's been a little distant for a couple of days and I had no idea why, but then I was cleaning this morning and I realised that the letter wasn't in the bin anymore." Said Haley on the verge of tears.

"Oh. That's not good. You have to talk to him Hales"

"I know, but how am I supposed to that when he keeps avoiding me. He's been so busy with classes and practice, and when he does have spare time he's with Luke. I know you've noticed he has barely stepped foot inside the apartment, except to sleep." Said Haley now unable to hold back the tears.

Peyton moved next to her friend and pulled her into a hug. "I'm sure it'll be ok. Just talk to him tonight when he gets home. I know he's good at avoiding conversations, but you need to stand your ground and make him listen."

"I hope so Peyton. Because I thought we were past this. I thought our relationship was stronger than this, letting misunderstanding get the better of us. We need to be better than this Peyt. In a couple of weeks there's going to be three people in this relationship and I can't have our baby in an unstable environment. It's just not good enough."

* * *

Later that afternoon, Haley and Peyton were preparing dinner, while Jake was playing with Jenny in the living room. Jake decidde to see if he could help the girls with any of the preparations.

"Need some help?" he asked as he joined them in the kitchen.

"No thanks Jake. We're almost done." Said Haley with a forced smile.

He noticed this and shot a questioning glance at his girlfriend. She made sure Haley wasn't looking and mouthed the name 'Nathan'. Haley's cell phone beeped indicating she had a text message. She read the message before sighing lightly.

"What's up?" asked Peyton trying to sound as casual as possible.

Haley put on a fake smile. "Oh. Nothing. Just Nate letting me know that he'll be at Luke's until late and not to wait up for him" She avoided both of their gazes before telling them she was tired and needed to lie down for a while. As soon as her door closed, they could hear her trying to suppress her sobs.

"What's going on?" asked Jake as he put his arms around his girlfriend's waist.

"I can't really go into detail, but Nathan's upset about something that is actually quite innocent, but he won't talk to her about it. We've both noticed his absence the past couple of days. He basically comes home after Haley's asleep and leaves before she wakes up. It's killing her that he's avoiding her like this."

"I'm gonna go see him and Luke. Do you mind?" he asked.

"No. Try and talk some sense into him." She said as she kissed his lips gently

"Just leave my food with Nathan's. We will both be home to eat it later." He said trying to sound positive.

* * *

Nathan and Luke were just sitting around in Luke's dorm room. His room mate was away for the week, so they had the place to themselves.

"So are you gonna tell me why you've been spending so much time here?" Luke asked

"I didn't know it was such a problem for you Luke." Snapped Nathan, trying to avoid the question

"You know it's not, I just thought maybe you would wanna talk about why you're avoiding your wife. You know, the wife you couldn't stand to be away from just a few days ago"

Nathan really didn't want to discuss the issue so he tried avoiding it again.

"Speaking of wives. Have you decided when you're going to pop the question?" he asked "Maybe I could give you a few pointers" he added cockily.

"Oh right. Because I'm sure it was really romantic asking Haley during a make out session" said Lucas sarcastically.

"It was actually. It was spontaneous and in the heat of the moment. She said yes, so it can't have been too bad"

"Whatever. And yes, I have organised a beautiful dinner for tomorrow night. I'm going to set up everything here. Brooke is coming over at about 7pm and by about 8pm I plan to be engaged." He said with a grin

They both heard a knock at the door and Nathan went to open it. Jake walked straight past him and took a seat on the couch.

"Hi. Nice to see you too, Jake" quipped Nathan

"Don't even start with me Nathan. You and I need to talk." He said seriously

"Um… should I be leaving now?" asked Lucas a little worried. He never saw Jake worked up like this.

"No. Maybe with you here, you can help me make your brother see what a total jackass he's being."

"What's your problem, man? I haven't done anything to you" shouted Nathan

"No. You haven't done anything to me, Nate, but you have to your wife. I just left the apartment where Haley was in her room sobbing. I don't know exactly what's going on, but I'm not stupid. I know you've been avoiding her for days. She's been acting like everything's fine, but after she got your message, she just went to her room and started crying. Whatever's going on, you need to fix it."

Nathan was getting angry with his friend. What happened between him and Haley was no one else's business, and Jake didn't even know what it was about. How would Jake like it if Peyton was getting love letters from another guy?

"It's none of your fucking business. It's between me and my wife." Nathan said through gritted teeth.

"Yeah. Well your wife is a good friend of mine. A friend who is expecting a baby in couple of weeks and doesn't need to be this stressed in her condition. Stop being a self centred dick and think about Haley and the baby."

Nathan knew he was right. He had been so upset about the letter from Jayden that he had avoided her to prevent dealing with the issue. He didn't want to fight with her and he was trying not to even think about it. He managed to push it to the back of his mind most of the time, but when he lay in bed beside his sleeping wife, it kept him awake at night.

Lucas had sat silently listening to the whole argument, still not knowing what was going on.

"What's wrong Nate? What has Haley done to get you this worked up? You two have been so happy the last few weeks, and now this. Don't let anything come between you now."

Nathan stood up and headed for the door with both Jake and Lucas calling after him, but he just ignored them.


	29. Fights and Flowers

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or any of its characters.**

After crying for over an hour, Haley had fallen asleep on her bed still fully clothed. She was so worried about the situation with Nathan, and didn't know how to fix it if he wasn't even talking to her. She had gone through every possible solution to make it better, but eventually exhaustion had won out and she drifted off to sleep.

Nathan entered the apartment to find that everyone was already in bed. It was nothing new, this was how it had been for a few days now. He had left Luke's dorm and gone to the gym to shoot some hoops and let off steam. Somehow an hour had turned into a few and it was late before he headed home. He noticed his dinner sitting on the bench for him, but he really wasn't hungry. He needed to talk to Haley, and it had to happen now.

He entered their room and when he saw Haley, he realised that she must not have left her room since she had gotten upset earlier that afternoon. He felt a pang of guilt as he imagined her curled up sobbing on their bed. She looked so tired and worn out that he considered not waking her, but he knew this had to happen. He sat on the bed beside her and gently shook her arm to wake her up.

"Nate?"

"Yeah. It's me" he replied softly

"I didn't think I'd see you tonight" she said looking away.

"We need to talk" he said

"Yeah. We do. I know you found the letter Nathan" she said still not looking at him

"You mean the love letter you had no intention of telling me about?" snapped Nathan sarcastically. He didn't mean to sound so harsh, but he had been holding in his anger and frustration for days, so now that they were actually discussing it, he couldn't hold it in.

"It didn't mean anything Nathan. That's why I threw it out and that's why I didn't tell you about it, because I knew you would get upset over nothing." She said pleadingly, sitting on the edge of the bed as Nathan paced the room.

"Nothing, huh? Was it nothing when you kissed him? Because I read the letter Haley and it sounded like a pretty amazing kiss you two shared in MY child's nursery." He spat out

"Oh. No you don't. Don't you dare throw that in my face. He kissed me once while I was in Florida. And yes I responded… for a few seconds because it was so good to get caught up in someone else and not think about you and everything I had lost. But I stopped it because I knew it was wrong. I was still in love with you and I felt like I was betraying you."

Nathan scoffed. Hearing her talk about the kiss was making him even more upset.

"Don't get all condescending with me Nathan Scott. I may have responded to one kiss, but while I felt guilty and stopped it, you spent months sleeping with half of the freshman class. I forgave you Nate. Why can't you forgive me?"

Nathan knew she was right and he was being irrational, but it hurt. He wasn't thinking straight and somewhere deep down, he was terrified of losing her. After reading that letter, he was scared by the fact that someone else wanted her so much. And Jayden's accusations that Nathan was not good enough and he didn't deserve her, had him reeling. What if Jayden was right? Of course he was right. Look at how he was treating his wife right now. She deserved better. He needed to get his thoughts together before he hurt her even more. So he lied to get himself out of there.

"I can't do this right now. I have a big game tomorrow night and I need to focus. I'm gonna stay at Luke's tonight. I'll call you when I've gotten my head around this."

"Nathan!" she cried "Please don't leave again. You're always walking out whenever we have an argument"

"No Haley. I take time to cool off. You're the one that always leaves." He said before slamming their bedroom door.

Haley heard the slamming of the front door a few moments later, followed by Jenny's cries.

* * *

Nathan spent the night in Lucas' room. He explained what had happened and although Luke was upset with his brother, he didn't deny him a place to stay. Besides, he had his own stuff to deal with. He was starting to get very nervous about the proposal dinner for Brooke. He was pretty sure she was going to say yes, but what if she didn't? What if he had it wrong and that wasn't where she saw their relationship heading. The thought made him ill.

Brooke on the other hand was extremely excited about tomorrow night's dinner. She had a sneaking suspicion that Lucas would propose, but didn't want to get her hopes up too high, in case she was disappointed. She went shopping earlier that day for the perfect outfit and had tried to keep herself busy so that the dinner came faster.

She was enjoying the peace and quiet of her dorm room, as her room mate had gone home for a few days. She sat on her bed writing 'Brooke Scott' and 'Brooke Davis-Scott' on one of her folders. She thought about what her wedding dress would look like and how the reception hall would be decorated. Brooke knew it was dangerous to get so ahead of herself, but she couldn't help it, she loved weddings.

Meanwhile, on the other side of town, things were not so good. Jake had spent the past half hour trying to get Jenny back to sleep while, Peyton comforted Haley after her argument with Nathan.

"So, I guess you heard all of that" Haley said dejectedly. "I'm sorry we woke Jenny up. You've been so great letting us stay here and this is how we repay you? I'm so embarrassed."

"Don't worry about it Hales." Said Peyton sincerely "Is he coming back?"

"No" Haley choked out. "He's staying at Luke's. I don't know what to do Peyton. What if this is it? What if he doesn't want to come back. I've gotten so used to the idea of us together and not having to bring up my child alone, I don't know if I can do it by myself now."

"I'm sure it won't come to that. But even if it did, you wouldn't be alone Hales. You have your friends and we love you. We'll help you out however we can. Please just try to get some rest and calm down. This can't be good for the baby."

Haley lay awake for most of the night terrified of what state her relationship was in. No matter how hard she tried, sleep would not come to her. She realised that the ball was in Nathan's court now. She would have to wait until she heard from him, whenever that would be.

* * *

The next day Nathan had gone to his morning classes, but was exhausted from lack of sleep. He had thought about Haley all night. He felt like such an asshole for yelling at her like that. His stupid insecurities shouldn't make him treat her that way. He had a few more classes, followed by practice for tonight's game, so he wouldn't be able to see her until after the game, so he decided to do something a little out of character that would surprise Haley, and hopeful make her see how sorry he was.

* * *

Lucas had also gone to his morning classes and was sitting in the cafeteria eating lunch, when his phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Hi Luke. It's your mom" Karen said nervously

"Hey mom. It's so good to hear from you. What's up?" he asked

"Um.. there's something I need to tell you and while I would prefer to do it face to face, I need to tell you right now before I chicken out."

"What is it mom? You're kinda scaring me here"

"Luke, a few months ago I was diagnosed with cervical cancer, but I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to worry" she said

"What? Why didn't you tell me? Are you gonna be ok?" he asked, but before Karen could answer, Luke added "I'm coming to see you. We need to talk about this. I'll be there in a couple of hours"

"But Luke, you've got class" responded Karen, but she was too late. Luke had already hung up and left the cafeteria headed for his car.

* * *

"Are you sure you don't wanna come with us Haley?" asked Jake as he and Peyton were getting ready to leave for Nathan's game.

"Yeah. I'm really tired and I just wanna stay home tonight" she responded as cheerfully as possible

"Ok. Well, we've both got our cell phones if you need us. We're taking Jenny to her babysitter's, and she has the home number for emergencies, but I doubt she'll call. And before you say it, we know you offered to look after her, but you need to rest, not chase after a toddler." Said Jake with a knowing smile

"Thanks. I'm kind of looking forward to a night on my own actually. I'll see you later."

About ten minutes after they left, Haley heard a knock at the door and assumed they had forgotten one of Jenny's favourite toys or something. But when she opened the door she was surprised to see a large bouquet of flowers hiding what appeared to be a delivery guy.

"Hi" she said

"Are you Haley James-Scott?" he asked

"Yep. That'd be me."

"Sign here please" he said handing her a pen after placing the floral arrangement on the floor.

Haley thanked him before closing the door and carrying the flowers to the coffee table. She suddenly had a thought that the flowers were from Jayden and she felt ill. Should she even read the card, or throw it out along with the flowers. She didn't even want to know what Jayden had to say to her now. But she was Haley James-Scott and inevitably, curiosity would win out. So after staring at the envelope for a good ten minutes, she decided to open it.

_To my beautiful wife,_

_I'm so sorry for everything that I said last night. I was being an ass and taking out my insecurities on you. I know there is nothing between you and Jayden, and you haven't done anything wrong. I just got scared that maybe he was right, that I don't deserve you, and you would someday realise it and leave me. But it was stupid. I know you love me and you're not going anywhere. Please know that I love you with all my heart and I will make this up to you. See you tonight after the game._

_With love, _

_Always and Forever_

_Your jackass of a husband._

Haley couldn't contain the happiness she was feeling. A smile appeared on her face as she somehow managed to do a little 'happy dance' which she was glad no one saw. An almost full term pregnant woman jigging around in her lounge room is definitely worth a few laughs.

She grabbed her cell phone and dialled Nathan's number. It went straight to message bank, so she assumed he was probably warming up for the game. She left him a message and sat down on the couch and let her body relax. Within minutes, she was fast asleep.

* * *

Brooke knocked on Lucas' door for the third time. She was starting to worry. He never kept her waiting out the front of his room for this long. He had given her a key, which was for emergencies only, considering he had a room mate to think of, but she knew his room mate was away so she decided to use it.

She opened the door to find the room in complete darkness. 'Maybe this is one of his tricks' she thought to herself 'Maybe he's waiting to jump out at me'. She flipped the light switch and found that the room was indeed empty. He had told her they would be having dinner in his room, but the table was clear, there were clothes all over the floor along with a makeshift bed.

"What the hell?" she asked herself out loud.

Brooked sat down on a chair at the table and decided to wait for Lucas. She tried to remain positive, but it looked like he had forgotten about their plans. She couldn't hide her disappointment as a single tear ran down her cheek.

After almost an hour of waiting and being unable to contact Luke on his cell, Brooke decided it was time to leave. "How could I have been so stupid to think he was going to propose to me tonight? He couldn't even remember his date with me." She scolded herself before locking the door and leaving the dorm.


	30. Just A Little Back Pain

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or any of its characters.**

Jake and Peyton were at the game sitting in the front row behind the Tar Heels bench. They were waiting for the teams to come back out after half time. The Tar Heels were winning by 7 points and Nathan was on fire.

"It feels weird with just us here tonight. Usually Luke and Brooke come and watch too." He looked at Peyton who was doing a really bad job of trying not to look guilty.

"What?" he asked her

"What do you mean what?" she asked feigning innocence

"I mean, what are you hiding from me. It's so obvious that there is something you want to tell me, but you can't" he said looking her straight in the eye.

"Oh, I'm such a bad friend, but I can't keep this secret anymore. And besides, by later tonight everyone in Chapel Hill will know anyway" she said more to herself. She was so busy trying to justify her actions that she didn't notice Jake waiting for her to spill the secret.

"Peyton. I'm waiting" he said impatiently

"Lucas and Brooke aren't here because he's put on a special dinner for her" she blurted out extremely fast

"And? That's hardly a newsworthy secret." Said Jake

"He's going to propose" she added

"Wow. That's great." Said Jake with a smile. "Good for them"

"I know. I'm totally excited. So be prepared for either Brooke rocking up later to show off her ring, or most likely they'll be too 'busy' to drop by, so we might get a late night phone call from her to tell us the good news. If we do, remember to act surprised."

"Surprised about what?" he joked as though he had already forgotten.

"That's my boy" she said ruffling his hair before placing a lingering kiss on his mouth.

To be honest, Peyton was a little jealous of Brooke. She and Jake had a great relationship and were so happy being back together, but sometimes she felt like she was being left behind. Nathan and Haley were already married and expecting their first baby, and now Lucas and Brooke were getting engaged. Peyton knew her and Jakes commitment to one another was huge, especially considering they were raising his daughter together, but she could help but wish she would one day have a ring on her finger as well.

Nathan was sitting on a bench in the change rooms thinking about Haley. He hoped that the flowers arrived ok and that she actually read the card instead of throwing it away. She had every right to after the way he had been behaving, but he really wanted to make it up to her. He finished towelling his hair and placed the towel back in his locker and noticed his cell which displayed a missed call.

He listened to the message:

_Hi babe. Thank you so much for the flowers, they're beautiful. Of course you're forgiven. I don't want you to ever think that you're not good enough for me, because that's ridiculous. You're the only one for me and I couldn't live without you. I'll see you tonight. Good luck at the game. I love you… Always and Forever._

Nathan's spirits soared and he was ready for an even better second half. He wanted to go out there and win this game so he could go home to Haley. His thoughts were interrupted by his coach telling them to get out on the court.

Haley awoke to the sound of pounding on the front door. It took her a moment to gather herself and she realised she had fallen asleep on the couch. Making her way over there, she rubbed her lower back which was incredibly sore, she assumed from sleeping on the couch instead of her bed.

"Brooke?" she asked as she saw her friend standing there in complete distress. She was dressed up and looked beautiful in her black evening dress, but her make up was ruined by the tears streaming down her face.

"I'm sorry Haley. I just needed someone to talk to" cried Brooke entering the apartment and taking a seat on the couch.

Haley knew it must be serious, not only from her dishevelled appearance, but by the fact that Brooke had called her by her name instead of 'Tutorgirl' or 'Tutorwife'.

"What's wrong honey?" she asked in a soothing voice as she took a seat next to her friend and begun to gently rub her back in comfort.

"It's Lucas" she said unable to continue due to the sobs escaping her throat.

"Oh. God. Is he ok? What happened?" asked Haley beginning to panic, thinking something must have happened to him

"I'm sure he's fine, but he won't be the next time I see him" Brooke said as anger started to take over.

"Why? What did he do?" asked Haley hesitantly. She hated having to take sides between her friends.

"We were supposed to have a dinner at his room tonight. He told me it was special and to dress up" she said pointing out her outfit "I… I thought he was going to propose to me Haley. I knew I was being stupid getting my hopes up, but I just had this gut feeling, you know?"

"But he didn't propose?" Haley questioned.

"He didn't even show up!" she exclaimed as her tears began again.

"I'm sure there is a perfectly good explanation. You know that's out of character for Lucas. Just wait for him to explain. I'm sure these tears will be for nothing" said Haley reassuringly

Brooke stopped crying and looked at her friend appreciatively. "Thanks Tutorgirl. I knew you were the right person to talk to about this." She said as she walked over to give Haley a hug.

Just as Brooke embraced Haley she felt her flinch, followed by a scream of pain.

"Oh, God. Did I hurt you?" asked Brooke pulling away

Haley didn't answer, she just closed her eyes, willing the pain to stop. She leaned back on the couch and tried to relax her body, but the pain continued.

"Haley. I think you're in labour" stated Brooke in a matter-of-fact tone as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

"No. It's probably just my back. I've been having lower back pain all day. It's not easy carrying around a little person 24/7" she joked trying to get past the pain she was feeling in her lower back

"Then how do you explain your water breaking?" asked Brooke with a smirk

"What?" asked Haley sitting up further to see the wet stain on the couch "Holy Shit." She uttered, realising that her pains were actually contractions. Then an even more intense wave of pain hit her.

"Ok. We need to get you to the hospital. I have my car parked just outside, do you think you can make it?"

"Yeah. My hospital bag is in my closet. Can you please grab it for me?"

Brooke helped Haley out to the car and placed her in the passenger seat. The hospital was close by, so they made it there in ten minutes.

Haley was admitted straight away and taken to the private birthing suite that she and Nathan had arranged for her.

"I'm gonna call Nathan. I'll be right outside" Brooke said to Haley who was in between contractions.

"He's at the game. He won't answer his phone. Try Jake or Peyton, they went to watch" she said just before another contraction hit. All she could think was that she hoped Nathan made it in time. She knew he wouldn't want to miss this.

Lucas had just arrived at his mother's in Tree Hill. He was standing outside the front door, but still hadn't opened it. He was scared. Was she was dying? Is that why she decided to tell him after so long? He couldn't bear it if he lost her. He slowly extended his hand and opened turned the handle.

"Mom?" he called out as he entered the house.

"I'm in the kitchen Lucas" he heard her yell

He entered the kitchen to see Karen serving up two plates of roast beef and vegetables.

"I figured you'd be hungry when you got here" she said putting down the plates before pulling her son into a tight embrace.

"Mom. What's going on? Please tell me everything?" he pleaded

They sat down to eat and Karen explained her cancer and her treatments to him.

"So you've gone through all of this alone?" he asked concerned

"No. I told Haley when she came back, and she helped me a lot. She gave me so much love and support and calls me nearly every day to see how I'm doing. She only agreed to leave with Nathan, if I promised to tell you."

"I'm glad you did mom. You need family right now. I'm going to be here for you. Me and Brooke" he said warmly

"Thanks Lucas. I really appreciate it, but I'm going to be fine. I've gone into remission and with any luck I won't relapse." She said with a smile.

"That's great mom. I'm so relieved."

Karen wanted to change the subject to happier topics, there was no point in dwelling on the possibility that she may get sick again.

"So how is Brooke? I've missed her you know? She's such wonderful girl"

"Actually, I'm going to propose to her, mom"

Lucas froze. How could he have been so stupid? He completely forgot about their dinner tonight. Brook would have shown up, only to find the place empty. She would be so disappointed. No, … she would be pissed. He felt so guilty at that moment.

"That's great Luke. You two are perfect for each other. When are you going to do it.?"

Karen saw Lucas' face fall a little.

"I was supposed to do it tonight. I raced here from school and completely forgot about the dinner I had organised for us."

"Luke! You need to get back there and make it up to that girl, or her answer's definitely going to be no."

"You're right. I have to go" he said

Luke got up and kissed his mother goodbye before walking out the front door.

Jake felt his phone vibrating in his pocket and decided he had better answer it in case it was an emergency with Jenny. He was surprised to see from the caller ID that it was Brooke calling.

"Hey Brooke. What's up?" he asked, sharing a questioning look with Peyton

"I'm at the hospital Jake. Haley's having the baby. Tell Nathan to get his ass here ASAP or he's gonna miss it." She said breathlessly.

"She's having it right now?" he asked shocked

"Well, it's not like the head's out already, but her contractions are really close and the nurses say it won't be long"

"Ok. We'll be there as soon as we can" he said.

Peyton looked at him excitedly. "Is she really having the baby?"

"Yep. She's in labour at the hospital right now" he said.

Peyton stood up and walked to the Tar Heels coach at the edge of the court, tapping him on the shoulder.

"Can I help you?" he asked in annoyance. He hated it when fans approached him during a game.

"I'm a friend of Nathan Scott's. I've just been informed that his wife is having their baby right now. He needs to get to the hospital." She said urgently

"Shit. There's only ten minutes to go and I'm gonna lose my highest scorer" he muttered to himself before calling a time out.

Nathan looked around after hearing the whistle and noticed Peyton standing next to his coach.

"What's going on?" he asked confused

"You're about to become a father. That's what's going on" his coach said patting him on the shoulder. "Now get your ass to the hospital, we can finish this without you".


	31. Two Plus One makes Three

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or any of its character (except for the Scott baby!)**

_**Author's Note: As you can see from the disclaimer, the baby has finally arrived! I chose the sex by how many votes I got from reviewers. It was pretty much one sided.**_

Haley held her friend's hand so tightly that Brooke was beyond relieved when she realised that her hand had actually gone numb.

"You're doing great!" Brooke said encouragingly

The doctor looked up towards Haley and said "We're nearly there Haley. I can see the head"

"I wish Nathan was here. He'd want to be here" she said in between contractions. She was in a lot of pain, but it was nearly over and she just wanted to see her baby and make sure everything was ok.

"Nathan's coming. He'll be here as soon as he can" said Brooke wiping a stray lock of hear off Haley's sweat covered face.

Brooke had never imagined she would be there for the birth of the baby. It all felt so surreal to her. She didn't know how Haley was handling it so well. Haley wasn't yelling and screaming like she expected. She wasn't cursing Nathan for not being there… or getting her pregnant in the first place, like you see on the movies. She looked down at Haley and felt so much pride, respect and admiration for her friend.

Here was a woman who had been through so much in the past couple of years, but she never gave up. She fought for her dreams, her husband and now her family. It made Brooke realise how much she loved Lucas, and how much she was willing to fight for their relationship. She just hoped he was ok. Brooke was quickly brought out of her thoughts by Haley's hand gripping her tighter as the next contraction ripped through her.

"Now push Haley." The doctor instructed. "There we go. The head's out"

Brooke saw a smile light up her friends face when they heard the first cries coming from the newborn.

"Once more Haley. One more push and you're done" he said

Brooke watched as Haley concentrated and pushed as hard as she could, before the baby was free.

"Congratulations Haley. You have a beautiful baby boy" the doctor said smiling.

"Is he ok?" Haley asked with concern

The doctor smiled again. Everything appears to be fine. "Now Brooke. Would you like to cut the cord?" he asked

Brooke felt as though she might throw up. Both Haley and the doctor saw the look of horror on her face and laughed lightly.

"Um. No. That's ok. You can do it" she said looking away, not wanting to see.

The baby was taken away for a few minutes to be cleaned up and Haley lay back in silence. She was exhausted, but all she wanted to do was hold her child.

Brooke grabbed a cloth and some warm water from next to the bed and began to wipe Haley's sweaty face.

"You did it. You're a mom. You have a son" said Brooke soothingly

"I know" Haley replied keeping her eyes closed, enjoying the feeling of the warm cloth on her face. "Thank you Brooke. Thanks for being here for me"

"Your welcome… Tutormom!" she replied.

Haley opened her eyes and smiled at her new nickname.

The baby had been to Haley, so Brooke decided to give them some time alone to bond. She sat down on one of the chairs outside the room and started to cry. She cried so many tears, tears of joy. She knew that experience would change her forever. She hadn't seriously thought much about children in her future. She assumed that one day she would have them, but it was more because it's just what women were expected to do. But now… she felt a piece of her heart glowing. And it was reserved for her future children. 'My future children with Lucas' she thought to herself.

Brooke looked up when she heard some noise down the hall, and saw Nathan running towards her, followed by Jake and Peyton. Then the guilt hit her. She had just experienced such a wonderful miracle, but it should have been Nathan in there. She got to be there for his son's birth, and he had missed it. He missed it, and he could never get it back. She cried harder.

Nathan stopped running when he reached Brooke and saw she was crying. She looked up at him with tears running down her face.

"I'm sorry Nathan"

Nathan felt like his world was crashing down around him. What did she mean? Was the baby ok? Was Haley ok?

"No. HALEY!". He yelled looking past Brooke. Panic had taken over and he was about to explode, before he felt Jake's strong hand on his shoulder.

"Nathan. Calm down" Brooke said putting a hand on his arm. She smiled at him for reassurance.

"They're ok?" he asked.

Brooke nodded. "I'm sorry I scared you. I was just upset that you missed out on the birth." She said feeling guilty for worrying him

She could see there was still some concern and doubt on his face.

"I was crying happy tears Nate… or should I say Daddy?" she asked with a twinkle of excitement in her eyes.

Nathan grinned widely and walked towards the door to Haley's room.

Nathan opened the door and quietly entered the room. He saw Haley sitting up in bed holding their baby, who was wrapped up in a green teddy bear blanket. She still hadn't noticed him because she was so enthralled in her child.

"Hey little man. You look so much like your Daddy, you know that? Let's just hope you're not as much trouble" she joked

He was absolutely mesmerised by the sight before him. He could see Haley was tired, and had been through an ordeal, but she still had that beautiful glow about her. She was breathtaking, and it brought a tear to his eye, watching her with his child.

Haley looked up and saw him standing at the door. Her smile grew wider as she held out her hand motioning for him to join them.

"Come and say hi to your son Nate" she said softly and lovingly

Nathan sat with them on the edge of the bed and Haley passed their son to him. He gazed at the newborn, taking everything in. Their child was the spitting image of him as a baby. He had a full head of dark hair like his father, the same nose and mouth and when he opened his eyes, they were a piercing blue.

Haley sat contentedly watching the two most important people in her life bond. She knew Nathan would be a wonderful father and could see he already loved their child with all of his heart. She watched as Nathan looked up and gazed lovingly into her eyes, before a kissed her deeply, showing her exactly how he felt at that very moment.

"I'm sorry I missed it." He whispered

"It doesn't matter. You're here now." She replied sincerely. "It's not your fault this little one was in such a hurry to meet us" she laughed while stroking her baby's face. She looked at her husband and continued "Besides, I had Brooke. She was amazing, Nate"

Nathan took a mental note to thank Brooke for being there when he couldn't be.

"You know, we should probably choose on a name" Nathan said. "We never did decide on one did we?"

"No. I guess we assumed we had a bit more time" she replied, noticing Nathan looking downwards. She could see that he had a suggestion, but was worried she wouldn't like it.

"Nate. Do you have any a suggestion?" she asked. "I'd love to hear it"

He smiled at her. "Actually, I was kind of searching the internet last week at school, looking at baby names. What do you think of Levi?" he asked hesitantly

Haley looked at their son, running the name through her head. She definitely liked it. It was unique and strong. "I love it. Does it have a special meaning?" she asked.

"Yeah, it does. That's kind of why I chose it. It means 'United As One' in Hebrew. And that's how I feel about him. Like he is a part of both you and I, united as one."

The thought of Nathan going to so much trouble researching names and then choosing one with such meaning for the both of them, brought tears to her eyes.

"Levi it is then." She said smiling at her son.

"Is that it? I mean, do we want him to have a middle name?" he asked

"I think he should."

"Good. But I want you to choose, Hales" Nathan replied kissing her on the cheek.

Haley thought for a moment as Nathan watched her intently. He noticed her eyes light up and knew she had come up with a name.

"Brookton" she said confidently, then explained "Brooke was so wonderful tonight, Nate. She helped me bring our son into the world and I would like to thank her. I think this is a nice way of doing it. What do you think?"

"Levi Brookton Scott." He said looking at the baby. "It's perfect" he added before kissing her again.

"He's perfect" Haley said

"Yeah. He is, isn't he." Nathan responded

Nathan exited the room, seeing all of his friends waiting anxiously to see Haley and the baby.

Brooke was sitting the closest and ran to him, giving him a big hug and congratulating him. He pulled her tighter before whispering "Thank you". They pulled away and neither had to say anymore. Brooke knew the full meaning behind his words.

"Nate! Brooke!"

They both turned to see Lucas running down the hallway towards them.

"Is she ok?" they nodded.

"And the baby?"

"Mom and baby are both doing fine" Nathan said giving his brother a quick hug.

Jake and Peyton stepped forward to congratulate the new father, as Lucas pulled Brooke aside.

"Baby. I'm so sorry I forgot our dinner. It was an emergency and I had to go back to Tree Hill. Please forgive me. You must be so mad at…."

Lucas was cut off by Brooke's lips crushing his own. She kissed him with such passion, that he soon stopped questioning it and held her closer to him. The world disappeared and it was only them and this amazing moment. They finally separated, both needing air.

"It's alright Lucas. It doesn't matter. All that matters is that you're ok and you're here. I love you so much" she said smiling

Lucas was stunned. He had expected her to be furious with him. To be honest he was worried she might call things off. But here she was being so forgiving and professing her love for him. God he loved this woman. Without even thinking he dropped to one knee, pulled the ring out of his jacket and took her hand.

"I love you too Brooke Davis. Will you marry me?" he asked while placing the diamond ring on her ring finger.

Without any hesitation she pulled him to his feel while squealing "Yes. Yes, yes, yes!" She kissed him hard before pulling away. "Of course I will marry you".

He hugged her tightly before they shared another passionate kiss. It wasn't until they pulled apart and turned around that they realised Nathan, Jake and Peyton were staring at them. They walked back to their friends feeling a little guilty for stealing the spotlight.

Peyton quickly turned back to Nathan and asked "So… is it a boy or a girl?"

"Yeah, man. Don't keep us in suspense" added Luke

Nathan looked at Brooke questioningly. He had assumed that she would have told everyone the second he left them to see Haley.

"What!" Brooke exclaimed "I can keep a secret, and this is yours to share, not mine"

Nathan looked at his soon to be sister-in-law and smiled. She had surprised and impressed him once again.

"We have a son" he said proudly before everyone squealed with delight. Even Brooke was carrying on like it was a big surprise to her, when she already knew.

"Have you chosen a name yet?" Jake asked

"Yeah. We just decided then." He said and paused, knowing the suspense was killing them.

"Nathan" whined Brooke, who was desperate to know.

"Levi Brookton Scott" he said smiling at Brooke. Her mouth dropped in shock as everyone turned to her.

She jumped into Nathan's arms and hugged him tightly. "Thank you" she said pulling away from him, her eyes filling with tears again.


	32. Smile

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or any of its characters.**

Haley sat on the couch and watched as Nathan came out of the nursery and lay down with his head in her lap. He had just managed to get Levi to sleep while Haley rested for few minutes.

"Thank you' she said

"You're welcome, beautiful" he said as he leaned up and closed the distance between them, kissing her softly. After lying back down he continued "We're in this together".

"Oh. Ok. Well, then I guess tonight you can breastfeed Levi and let him bite your nipples!" she joked

"But then I won't get to watch you feed him" he said in a light tone, but she knew he was being serious. She had noticed how Nathan always watched her feed Levi, even if it was the middle of the night and he could be sleeping. She wondered why, and looked at him questioningly. "Hales, it's one of the most beautiful sights I've ever seen".

Haley couldn't help but smile and then kissed him deeply.

It had been 3 weeks since Levi's birth and everything seemed to be falling into place. He was such a great baby. He hardly ever cried, he slept regularly and when awake, he was content to just take in his surroundings and watch his mum and dad. He was bonding so well with both parents, but Nathan could see how much more Levi settled when he sensed his mother's presence. As soon as Haley entered the same room, the baby's demeanor seemed to brighten.

Nathan and Haley were coping amazingly well, plus they had a lot of support from their friends and family. Jake and Peyton had been great, helping them when needed, but also trying to give the new family some space. Lucas and Brooke had dropped by regularly to see them all, and Brooke was absolutely enchanted with baby Levi. Everyone was surprised to see her maternal instincts shining through. Well, everyone except Lucas, he had always know they were there.

A few days after Levi was born, Karen and Deb drove from Tree Hill to spend a couple of days with them. Brooke and Lucas had moved into a new two bedroom apartment in the same complex as Jake and Peyton, so Deb and Karen had stayed with them. Deb was every bit the doting grandma, and even though Karen wasn't technically Levi's grandmother, Haley and Nathan intended her to play a similar role in his life.

Nathan contacted Haley's parents and told them the news. They had received phone calls from all of her brothers and sisters, except for Taylor, who had apparently disappeared off the face of the earth again. It was quite a shock though, when Jimmy and Lydia James had shown up unannounced on Jake and Peyton's doorstep. Haley had been so happy to see them and wanted them to meet their new grandson. It seemed though, that the James' had more surprises in store for their daughter and son-in-law.

_Flashback_

_Nathan, Haley, Jimmy and Lydia pulled up in front of a row of terrace houses, a few blocks from Jake and Peyton's apartment, and all got out of the car._

_Lydia unlocked the front door and they all walked into the gorgeously decorated three bedroom, Victorian terrace. Nathan and Haley held hands as they inspected all of the rooms, noticing the gorgeous dark hardwood floors, high ceilings and cozy atmosphere. They all met in the living area which included an open kitchen and dining area._

"_Wow. This place is great Lydia" said Nathan_

"_Yeah. It's amazing, but why did you guys buy a house? I thought you were happy traveling around the country, being free spirits" she said mockingly_

"_We are." Lydia responded with a huge smile_

"_It's not for us. It's for you and your new family, Haley-bub" said Jimmy_

_Nathan and Haley exchanged stunned glances._

"_What?" she asked_

"_We thought that now you have a baby to take care of, you should have a home of your own. So we paid the deposit, and instead of paying rent, you can make the mortgage repayments, and someday you'll own this place." Jimmy explained happily_

_Haley was about to speak, but her father could already see the hesitance in her eyes._

"_Before you say you can't accept it, it's too late. We've signed the contracts and paid the deposit. The place is yours."_

_Haley still couldn't believe it. "But Dad.."_

"_It's yours" he said more sternly_

_She looked at Nathan who just shrugged, indicating it was her decision as to whether they accept it or not._

_Haley ran to her parents and hugged them both before returning to her husband who picked her up and twirled her around._

_End of Flashback_

* * *

Brooke and Lucas were lying in bed enjoying the peace and quiet of their new apartment. Lucas watched his fiancé who was locking and unlocking their fingers together as she lay in his arms with her head on his chest. The newly engaged couple had been so happy over the last three weeks. Besides classes, they had spent nearly every second of every day together. They couldn't bear to be apart.

"So… I know we're engaged now, and everything is great, but I just thought maybe we should discuss our plans… you know for the future." Said Lucas hesitantly. He was worried that now he had the girl of his dreams agreeing to marry him, that he would scare her off, by wanting to make wedding plans so soon, but he really didn't want a long engagement.

"Yeah. I guess we should. What are you thinking?" she asked still playing with his hand.

"Babe, I just want to be your husband. I'm ready whenever you are." He said honestly

Brooke looked up and responded with a smile, "Really? Well, that's good because I can't wait to be your wife."

That was exactly what he was hoping she would say. He smiled back at her before dipping down to take her lips with his. After finally breaking their kiss he asked "How about we start planning tomorrow then? Is three months too soon for you?"

"Sounds perfect. I love you Lucas Scott" she said before initiating another passionate kiss.

"I love you" he moaned into her mouth

Brooke kissed her way up his jaw and whispered in his ear seductively "I want you".

Lucas tilted her face to his responding "I need you. Now" before they shared a searing kiss and spent the rest of the evening making love.

* * *

Nathan, Haley and Levi were in the master bedroom. Nathan lay on his side, propped up on his elbow as he watched Haley feed Levi while resting against the head of their bed.

"Geez. He's got one hell of an appetite" Nathan chuckled

"Tell me about it. I feel like a dairy cow." She joked

Levi finally pulled away from his mother's breast and looked up at her smiling and cooing. Haley passed him over to Nathan, who wanted to burp him before they put him to bed. Nathan finished and noticed Levi was trying to fight off sleep as his eyes fluttered open and closed.

Nathan kissed his sons forehead before getting off the bed and helping Haley up to a standing position. They took Levi into his nursery which was right next to their room. It was decorated in an assortment of colors. Two walls were baby blue, while the other two were green, the ceiling was yellow and they had a purple rug on the floor. The room was covered with cute little nursery rhyme pictures and, of course, basketball paraphernalia.

Funnily enough, the basketball stuff wasn't Nathan's idea, it was all Haley. She had been thinking about Levi when he grew up a little, and couldn't help but picture her husband teaching their son how to play the game. It was pretty much a given that he would inherit his fathers talent.

Both parents stood by the side of the crib as Haley sang their baby to sleep.

_Smile though your heart is aching  
Smile even though its breaking  
When there are clouds in the sky, you'll get by  
If you smile through your fear and sorrow  
Smile and maybe tomorrow  
You'll see the sun come shining through for you _

Light up your face with gladness  
Hide every trace of sadness  
Although a tear may be ever so near  
That's the time you must keep on trying  
Smile, what's the use of crying?  
You'll find that life is still worthwhile  
If you just smile

Nathan and Haley went back to their room once they were sure Levi was settled. Nathan was still dressed in his clothes from that evening, while Haley was covered only by a robe. Nathan removed all of his clothes except for his boxers while Haley sat at her dresser and brushed her hair quickly and applied some moisturizer to her face. She stood up from her chair and walked closer to the bed before beginning to slide her robe off. Upon seeing Nathan watching her intently, she quickly pulled the robe back over her naked body.

Nathan noticed Haley cover herself up as soon as she saw he was looking at her. It was such a strange feeling to have his wife hide her body from him. It was like when they were first together and she was nervous and self conscious.

"Why are you hiding yourself from me?" he asked as he went to stand in front of her

Haley blushed with embarrassment. She felt foolish for covering up in front of her husband of almost two years.

"I don't feel sexy anymore Nate." She said softly, avoiding his eyes. "I put on some weight while I was pregnant and I have all these little stretch marks now. I'm not the same anymore."

Nathan pulled her into his warm embrace and whispered into her ear. "You are more beautiful that ever." He pulled away from her and opened her robe. "You've got these amazing new curves" he said sexily as he slipped the robe from her shoulders, before sliding his hands down her sides to sit on her voluptuous hips. He gave her a cheeky look and stated "Not to mention the new rack. Have I told you how much I love the new rack". He brushed his hands over her breasts softly, knowing how sensitive they were.

Haley laughed at his crude comment about the increase in her bust size and playfully slapped him on the arm, already feeling more at ease from his comments.

"Hales, you are so sexy." He said, only this time he was dead serious looking straight into her eyes.

"Really?" she asked still having some doubts

"Yes. And you know what it is about you now that I find the sexiest?" he asked. She shook her head. "The fact that you are the mother of my child… and hopefully… one day, we can change that to children"

All of Haley's fears and doubts were lifted by her husbands beautiful words. She lunged at him and kissed him wildly. Haley pushed him back on the bed before straddling his waist and giving they shared another searing kiss.

After a few minutes, Nathan pulled away. "We don't have to do this yet Hales. I want to wait until you're ready".

Haley released a slight chuckle. "Are you kidding? After that little speech you gave me? You'll be getting some every night" she said in her sexiest voice.

With that, Nathan flipped them over and attacked her lips with his. This was the first time they'd made love since before Levi was born, and they were desperate to feel each other again. They made love quickly and passionately, before falling asleep in each others arms.


	33. Girl's Night Out, Boys Night In

"I can't believe I'm getting married in two days" squealed Brooke as she and Haley sat at a café eating lunch, with Levi sleeping in a stroller by Haley's side.

"Shhh. I'll kill you if he wakes up" said Haley as she adjusted her son's blankets

"Sorry Tutormom. I just kind of get crazy with this wedding stuff… well you know what I've been like"

Haley knew exactly how excited Brooke was about the wedding. She had talked of nothing else for the last three months, well nothing else besides how adorable her little nephew is.

"It's cool. So our final dress fittings are tomorrow?" asked Haley

"Yep. So we have to try not to get too drunk tonight. I don't wanna be hung over tomorrow."

Tonight was Brookes 'Hen's Night'. She was going to the newest club near campus with Haley, Peyton and friends from both UNC and Tree Hill High. Nathan, Luke and Jake were going to hang out at Haley and Nathan's and look after Jenny and Levi.

"I'm so excited about tonight. I haven't gone out for such a long time, but it's my first night away from Levi." Haley said with a frown

"I know you're going to worry no matter what I say, but seriously Tutormom, he's three months old now and you're leaving him with his father, his Godfather and Jake, who's already a father. Levi is in good hands. Nothing is going to happen tonight… except you are going to have a fabulous time!" said Brooke fighting the urge to squeal again.

Haley and Brooke finished their lunches and hugged each other goodbye. The two had become even closer since the birth of Levi. Haley was Brooke's maid of honour, just as Brooke was at Haley's wedding. They spent a lot of time together, especially since Lucas and Brooke were named as Levi's Godparents. The two couples often hung out with the boys watching basketball or playing video games while the girls planned the wedding and doted over Levi.

* * *

Jake came into the kitchen to find Peyton drying the dishes from lunch.

"Looking forward to tonight?" he asked

"Yeah. Sure. Responded Peyton less than enthusiastically

Jake stood behind Peyton and slipped his arms around her waist, placing his chin on her shoulder and nuzzled her neck.

"What's wrong babe?" he asked cautiously

"Nothing" she said with an edge to her voice.

"I've noticed you pulling way from Haley and Brooke. Why?" he waited for a response but got none. "Are you upset that Brooke chose Haley to be her maid of honour?"

Peyton spun around and glared at him. "I'm not that pathetic, Jake" she said through gritted teeth before storming off.

Jake just watched her go without attempting to stop or follow her. Lately he had seen her withdraw from their friends, and now even a little from him. He had no idea what was wrong with her… with them. She was spending less time with Nathan, Haley, Lucas and Brooke and more time with her single friends from school. HE had actually started to worry that she wasn't happy with him anymore. 'Maybe she feels trapped by me and Jenny' he thought to himself as he finished drying the dishes.

Meanwhile, Peyton was lying on their bed crying softly. Her jealousy of Haley and Brooke's lives had only grown over the last three months. She was frustrated with Jake. She felt like she was playing the role of his wife and Jenny's mother, but he had shown no signs of wanting to cement their commitment to each other… to their relationship. Peyton had dropped many hints about marriage, but he either missed them or was ignoring them completely. Because she was feeling insecure in her relationship, she had been avoiding her friends, feeling the last thing she needed was their perfect lives being rubbed in her face.

* * *

Haley rushed around her bedroom putting the final touches on her outfit before Brooke picked her up.

"And Nate, I'll have my phone on me all night, so call if you need anything" Haley yelled to her husband in the living room. She had gone over every possible incident that could occur and stressed out the way only new mothers know how.

She joined Nathan in the lounge room and took Levi from his arms, where he immediately snuggled against her chest reaching a hand out to play with her hair that had been curled and down her back, past her shoulders. She kissed his forehead and watched him laugh she bounced him up and down.

"Oh. Sweety." She whined as Levi threw up on her top. "Mommy wanted to wear this tonight" she laughed

Nathan couldn't help but chuckle as he took Levi from her so she could change before Brooke arrived.

"That wasn't very nice, Levi. But it was pretty funny" he joked as his son touched his face and cooed at him.

Haley walked out of her room in a new top. It was a crimson strapless top that sat just above her hipster jeans, showing off a small amount of creamy flesh. The top was a little more revealing than she was used to, but Brooke had given it to her as a gift after she had gotten her figure back. Haley had actually found that she seemed to have more self confidence than ever.

Nathan put Levi down in his play pen and pulled his wife to him, his fingers making small circles on her exposed flesh.

"You look hot" he whispered in her ear. "I'm starting to get worried about you out on the town tonight." He said before kissing her neck

"I'm gonna miss you. I wish you could come with us." She replied huskily in his ear. "The two of us on the dancefloor, dancing close, grinding our hips together" she added while acting out her description.

Nathan felt himself becoming hard as she ground against him. He leant in to kiss her, but she moved her face away and twisted out of his grasp. Nathan was disappointed, but soon saw her turn around and lean into him, moving her ass against him erotically.

"My ass rubbing against you" she continued her description "You're hands on my hips" she said as he followed her instructions and took hold of her hips.

Then Nathan took the lead, pushing her hair to the side and placing hot, wet kisses on the back of her neck, before she turned her head back to him and they kissed passionately while still moving to the imaginary music.

Nathan and Haley were interrupted by a cough "Uh Hmmm". They pulled apart to see Lucas and Brooke standing with amused looks on their faces.

"God. Don't you two ever get sick of each other?" Brooke asked with mock disgust. Then looked at Nathan standing slightly behind his wife. "Put some ice on it Nate, we're leaving" she added with a smirk.

Haley turnedand circled her arms around Nathan's neck, standing on her toes to give him a lingering kiss.

"We'll finish this later" she said huskily

Nathan grinned, but his brow soon furrowed. "But you'restaying at Brooke's" he said with a pout.

"Well, I've changed my mind. I'd much rather come home… Then maybe we can finish what we started." She said before pecking his cheek and leaving with Brooke.

Lucas had lost interested in the shameful public display of affection by his brother and sister-in-law and picked Levi up out of his play pen. Once the girls had left, he looked up to see his brother looking very frustrated by the interruption.

"Geez, Nate. Take a cold shower and get over it!" he joked

Nathan's frown disappeared and he laughed lightly. "Sorry man. Just feels like we always get interrupted. If it's not my son, it's my brother." Nathan said shaking his head and walking into the bedroom.

"I'm sorry you had to see that, little man. But you'd better get used to it, because your mommy and daddy can't keep their hands off each other" Lucas said to a smiling Levi sitting on his lap.

Lucas played with the baby while his brother showered and changed. After a few minutes, Jake let himself and Jenny into the house and joined Lucas on the couch while Jenny played with Levi's toys.

What's up with you man?" Lucas asked upon seeing the somber expression on his friend's face.

Jake sighed and took Levi from Lucas. "It's Peyton. She's acting really weird and moody"

Lucas laughed. "Peyton brooding? I can see why you're alarmed" he said sarcastically.

"I'm serious Luke. She's stopped hanging out with Brooke and Haley, she's distancing herself from me and spending more and more time with her friends from school. I'm scared she wants out" he said holding back the tears.

Nathan entered the living room at the end of the conversation. "Who wants out of what?"

Lucas looked at his brother and replied "Jake's paranoid. He thinks Peyton's going to leave him."

"You think I'm being paranoid?" Jake asked Luke with a hint of relief.

Nathan laughed as he sat down next to Jake. "You really are clueless, aren't you?"

"What do you mean?" Jake asked

"Look man. She doesn't want to leave you. It's quite the opposite actually. She wants you to propose" said Nathan

Luke looked at his brother doubtfully. "And how'd you come to that conclusion, Einstein?"

"Well, she only started pulling away from us all after Levi was born and Lucas and Brooke got engaged. We're always hanging out together talking about the baby and the wedding." He said to Jake who still looked unconvinced.

"Look man, Haley and I are married and have a child together. Our long term commitment is obvious and now, even the odd couple getting married." Nathan said jokingly gesturing to Lucas. "Meanwhile, Peyton is playing the role of your wife and Jenny's mother, without any real commitment from you that this is forever. I hate to say it Jake, but if I was her I'd feel like you were taking me for granted."

"Shit. You're right. I know I want to be with her forever, but I guess I've never told her that." Jake sighed.

Lucas turned to his brother with a strange smile.

"What?" asked Nathan

"How did you become the sensitive brother with all the answers?" he joked

"One reason, man, and her name's Haley" said Nathan with a smile.


	34. surprises

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or any of its characters**

The club was absolutely pumping. The dance floor was packed with people bumping and grinding, the bar had people lining up for drinks and every couch and table was taken long ago.

At a table in the back corner, Haley, Brooke and Peyton sat watching everyone around them. They had been at the club for over two hours and decided to sit down for a while after dancing non stop since they arrived. Haley and Brooke chatted away, commenting on the disgustingly steamy couples on the dance floor, discussing tomorrow's dress fittings and other wedding stuff. They had been trying to include Peyton in the conversation, but she just sat there pretending to listen, not even touching the drink that Haley ordered her.

"Are you ok?" asked Brooke after she noticed Peyton hadn't said anything for quite a while.

Peyton shifted her eyes from the table to look up at Brooke and then immediately burst into tears. "I'm pregnant" she choked out and continued sobbing with her head in her hands.

Haley softly stroked her friend's hair and asked "So… You don't want the baby?"

Peyton's head immediately shot up "Of course I want my baby. I've already decided to keep it. I just don't know if I'll be doing this alone"

Haley was confused by Peyton's comment. The Jake she knew would never choose not to raise his child. He already proved that by raising Jenny on his own from 16 years of age.

"What are you saying? That Jake doesn't the baby?" she asked in disbelief

"He doesn't know" Peyton replied flatly

This time Brooke felt the need to comment. "Why not? You have to tell him. He has a right to know"

"I know that. It's just things haven't been going that great for us lately. I guess I haven't really been myself. It's just weird, that's all." Said Peyton dejectedly

"We've noticed. What's going on?" asked Haley in a concerned tone.

Peyton shook her head. "It's Jake. I know he loves me and I love him, but I don't know if he wants this… us… to be forever. I feel like I'm living the life of his wife and Jenny's mother, but he's never indicated that he plans onus getting married. What if he's staying with me because I'm good with Jenny or simply because it's convenient?" Peyton sighed and continued. "I love him and want to spend the rest of my life with him. I've been dropping hints about marriage, just hoping he'll propose or at least bring up the subject of getting married in the future, but he hasn't."

Peyton looked down and took a few deep breaths. Haley and Brooke stayed silent, sensing that she wasn't finished yet.

"I'm scared that when I tell him about the baby, he'll feel obligated because he knocked me up. Marrying me has to be what he wants, or I don't want to stay with him at all." Peyton cried again.

Haley hugged her friend "It'll be ok Peyton. He loves you. I know he wants to be with you".

"Yeah. You know what guys are like. They're clueless. He's probably just not getting the hints" added Brooke encouragingly

Peyton looked at her friends sadly "Not all guys are clueless. Nate proposed when you were 16 and still in high school. And now Lucas at 18 during our freshman year of college." Peyton exclaimed. "I guess they are just more sure of their feelings than Jake is." she added resignedly.

"Is that why you've been so distant lately. You've found it hard being around us married and engaged couples?" asked Brooke

Peyton felt embarrassed about her admission and just nodded her head.

Brooke hugged her friend tightly. "I'm sorry P. Sawyer. I should have realized what was going on".

"It's my fault for not talking to you guys about it in the first place. Look, I'm sorry Brooke, but I really don't feel like partying tonight, so I'm just gonna go. Have an awesome night and I'll just see you tomorrow at the fitting."

* * *

Back at Nathan and Haley's house, it was just the two brothers and Levi left to amuse themselves. Jake had left earlier with Jenny to go home and think about his situation with Peyton. 

The boys had just finished their eighth game of NBA Live and Lucas was getting very bored. "You want me to hang around?" he asked his brother

"Nah man. I'm pretty wiped, so I'll just wait for Levi to settle and then go to bed.

"All right then. Wanna play some ball tomorrow while the girls have their fitting? We can take Levi to the court with us." Asked Lucas

"Yeah. That'd be cool. I missed practice yesterday, so I could do with a workout." Replied Nathan as he let his brother out.

Nathan returned to the living room and picked his son up from the play pen before walking around and rocking him to sleep.

"You have no idea how much I love you Levi" he whispered softly once his son had fallen asleep.

Nathan took him into the nursery and gently placed him in his crib. As he left the nursery he heard the door bell and raced to the door before the noise could wake Levi. As he opened the door and saw who was standing there, his mouth dropped open.

"Hey sexy." Said the petit blonde standing in front of him.

"What… what are you doing here?" he asked and shifted uncomfortably noticing her eyes roaming his form.

"Came to get some lovin', what else?" she responded with a husky laugh. After a few moments of silence she continued impatiently"So, can I come in?"

"Sure. Butyou have to be quiet. I just got the baby to sleep."

* * *

After being groped for possibly the hundredth time while trying to dance, Haley went to find Brooke. She hadn't seen her on the dance floor for quite a while and figured she was probably at the bar. She snaked her way through the crowd and found Brooke playing a drinking game with Bevin and one of the bartenders who appeared to be on a break. 

"I'm heading off Brooke" she yelled to her friend over the music

Brooke turned around almost falling off her stool. "No way. I don't think so Tutormom. There's plenty more partying to do." Brooke said slurring her words.

Haley couldn't help but laugh at the drunken state of her friend. "I think you're doing enough partying for the both of us babe." She laughed. "I thought you weren't going to get drunk tonight. We've got our final fittings tomorrow."

"I'm not drunk" protested Brooke, before being distracted by the bartender offering her another shot. Haley took this chance to leave before Brooke tried to force her to stay.

"By Bevin. Look after her. I'll see you at the wedding." Haley said

Bevin hugged her quickly. "She'll be fine. See ya."

With that Haley began to make her way out of the crowded club, wishing she could just be at home with her husband. She smiled as she remembered her promise to Nathan earlier in the day that they would finish the little 'bump and grind' session they had started.

After driving around for a few hours Peyton arrived home ready to tell Jake the news of her pregnancy. She walked hesitantly towards the front door and slowly entered the apartment. She held her breath when she saw the entire apartment was lit up with candles and floor was covered with rose petals. Jake sat on the couch watching her reaction.

"Jake. What's going on?" she asked softly

He just smiled at her. "Come sit with me" he said patting the spot next to him.

Peyton complied waiting for him to speak.

"Jake?" Peyton urged him to continue after a long silence.

Jake took her hands in his and rubbed them softly. "Peyt. I know things haven't been that great lately." He began, but was soon interrupted.

"I'm sorry" she said guiltily

"No. Just hear me out. It's my fault. I realize I've been taking you for granted. You give me everything babe. Your hear, your soul. You love me and Jenny unconditionally and you let me love you back. And I do… I do love you… so much." Jake paused and looked into her eyes. "And that's why I want to marry you."

Peyton was shocked. This was the last conversation she had expected to be having with Jake, considering how she had been acting lately.

"Are… Are you proposing to me?" she asked shakily

Jake kissed her passionately before pulling back. "Yes. But there's something else too."

"What is it?" asked Peyton curiously.

"I want you to adopt Jenny." He blurted out with a smile. After no response from the stunned Peyton he asked "So… what do you say?"

Peyton wrapped her arms around his neck and softly kissed his lips. "Of course I will marry you. And I'd love to be Jenny's mother."

"You're already her mother, no matter what anyone says." Responded Jake.

They embraced for the longest time, just enjoying the closeness, both physically and emotionally, feeling as though they had been apart for such a long time. Peyton was the first to pull away.

"Now it's my turn to surprise you." She said hesitantly, dreading that her news would spoil their newfound bliss.

Jake looked at her questioningly, waiting for her to elaborate and noticed she was having trouble forming the words. Eventually Peyton just blurted them out.

"We're pregnant".

* * *

Lucas had begun to drive back to his apartment, but felt the sudden urge to see his fiancé. He knew it was customary for the groom-to-be to crash the Hen's Night, but Brooke had already told him to drop by if he wanted to, maintaining that she would be on her best behavior and had nothing to hide. 

He entered the club to find a large crowd gathered around the bar. As he walked closer, he could see Brooke dancing on the bar looking absolutely hilarious wearing a hat with attached plastic penis and a matching penis lollipop hanging on a string around her neck.

Brooke looked out into the crowd and locked eyes with Lucas who was smirking at her.

"Luke" she squealed excitedly as he began to make his way to her.

"That's him" she exclaimed to the bartender as she pointed him out. "Isn't he hot! And he is like… soooo good in bed. I'm serious… the best sex I've ever had!"

Lucas reached the bar and stretched out his arms to get her off the bar. She basically jumped off the bar and into his embrace, snuggling her face into his neck.

"Best sex you've ever had, huh?" he whispered teasingly

"Yeah. Speaking of… we really need to leave… right now" she said with a lusty look in her eye.

The couple raced out the club as fast as they could and walked quickly to Lucas car. It wasn't the easiest task considering Brooke stumbled every few steps.

Lucas tried to stick to the speed limit as he tried to get home as quickly as he could. Brooke wasn't making it easy on him as she sat facing him with a sexy smirk. She scooted a little closer to him and he felt her hand unzip his pants and stroke him through his boxer short.

Luke knew they could wait until they reached the apartment, so he turned on a gravel road which lead to a small lake that he and Nathan often used to run laps around. He parked the car and before long, Brooke had wrapped her mouth around him. He loved it when Brooke went down on him, she was so talented with her mouth. Just as he felt he couldn't hold on any longer, he stopped her. She looked up in confusion, before he quickly took hold of her hips and lifted her so she was straddling him. He lifted up her skirt and moved her thong to the side before quickly thrusting into her. Brooke pulled the lever to lower his seat back and began to ride him as hard as she could. Lucas found her clit and slowly massaged it, so that she would reach her climax with him. Before long her muscles tightened around him and she screamed his name with Lucas finding his release moments later. Brooke collapsed on top of him and they lay there together, just enjoying the moment.

* * *

When Lucas and Brooke finally arrived home, they were stunned to find Haley curled up in a ball on their couch. They could see from her face that she had been crying and could only assume she exhausted herself into a deep sleep. They had given Haley a key to their apartment when they first moved in case ofemergencies etc, but they never thought they would ever come home to find her like this. Lucas started walking towards his best friends childlike form. 

"Don't wake her Luke. She looks like she could use the rest." said Brooke barely above a whisper

"I'm just gonna carry her into the guest room." he said before delicately lifting her into his arms. He carried her light frame into the spare bedroom and placed her on the bed, removing her shoes and drawing the covers up. Lucas watched her for a moment, extremely worried about her. It must be something bad for her to seek refuge with her friends instead of staying at home with her husband. And it definately had to besomething majorconsidering she came without Levi.

"I'm really worried about her Luke. What do you think happened?" asked Brooke.

"I'm not sure, but I guess it's a safe bet to say that she had a fight with Nathan." he sighed.

"I don't get it. Everything has been going so well for them lately. I mean... you saw them today, they couldn't keep their hands off each other." said Brooke sitting down on the couch in defeat

"I know Brooke. But they have a pretty intense relationship. That means they love and fight with same height of passion." he said walking towards the phone. "I should probably call Nate to let him know that she's here, and maybe he'll give us some answers."

Brooke didn't say anything. She just stared at the door to the spare room hoping that he friend would be ok. Even though Haley was asleep, Brooke could see she looked broken. 'Hasn't Haley been through enough?' she thought to herself. She looked up and watched her husband pacing, obviously waiting for Nate to answer the phone.


	35. Pretending It's All Ok

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or any of its characters**

**_Author's Note: Wow! What a response to the last chapter. I wonder why? haha. Well, I've fully braced myself, ready for reviews from some not too happy readers after this chapter. I guess i'll be hearing from you soon!_**

_**saderia green - you may notice i've used something out of your review in this chapter. When you used the term 'bumping uglies' i couldn't stop laughing. Haven't heard anyone say that for years. So thanks for the inspiration.**_

****

'Shit' exclaimed Lucas after slamming down the phone. He had been trying to get a hold of Nathan for the past hour, but no one was answering the phone.

"Still not answering?" asked Brooke

Luke shook his head and took a seat next to his wife. "I guess we'll just have to leave it until the morning. Haley can tell us what's going on then."

"I know it's frustrating babe, but there's nothing more we can do. Let's just go to bed and try to get some rest. I'm pretty sure I'm gonna have the hang over from hell tomorrow" she joked. Brooke had been pretty drunk when she left the club, but sobered up quite quickly upon finding Haley the way they did.

"Yeah. Let's go." He said standing up and pulling her up with him. Neither slept very well that night, knowing that tomorrow would be a very difficult day. Brooke wasextrememly worried about her friend, and even though she felt a little selfish, she couldn't help hoping that whatever was going on would not ruin her wedding day.

Meanwhile, in the room next door, Haley tossed and turned dreaming of the scene she had witnessed that night.

_Haley opened the front door of her apartment as quietly as she could making sure not to wake up Levi. She was so glad to be home and free of the smoky, humid club. As she made her way through the living area to her bedroom, she noticed a black handbag on the couch. _

"_That's weird" she muttered to herself before opening the door to the nursery to check on Levi before she went to bed. She walked over the crib and saw her baby sleeping peacefully with a slight smile upon his lips. Haley knew she was so lucky to be living the life she had with Nathan and Levi. It wasn't exactly what she had planned for herself, but she wouldn't change it for anything in the world._

_Haley lightly stroked her son's dark hair before quietly exiting the room. When she closed the door behind her she noticed something underfoot. She bent down to pick the item up and realized it was a baby pink singlet top that definitely did not belong to her._

"_What the..?" she sighed heavily. She stood there looking at the menacing article of clothing trying to think of any possible explanation as to why there was a woman's handbag and top scattered around her living room. Haley tried desperately to push any bad thoughts and feelinsg to the back of her mind. There had to be a reasonable explanation for this. She warily made her way over to the door that lead to her and Nathan's bedroom. She gripped the handle, willing herself to turn it and open the door. She mustered all the courage she hand and slowly opened the door to reveal an empty bedroom._

"_Where the hell are you Nate?" she whispered to herself. Haley was getting worried now. Nathan was no where to be found, and there was no way he would just leave their son alone in the apartment. She exited the bedroom and took another glance around the apartment. There was a pizza box on the coffee table, and a few dvd's scattered on the floor, but no sign of Nathan or Jake and Lucas. It was still early and she had expected that the boys would still be hanging out. _

_It was then that she heard a slight murmur coming from the spare bedroom. Haley took a sharp intake of breath, She felt nauseous, just thinking of what she could possibly find inside that room. She walked to the door and stood outside, listening for any more voices, but she heard nothing. She opened the door slightly, looking into the pitch black room. She couldn't see anything, so she opened the door wide and made out two figures tangled in the sheets. After Haley's eyes adjusted to the darkness, she gasped at the sight. She could see the petite blonde woman lying on her back, sheets wrapped tightly around her, while the muscular raven haired man lay on his stomach, facing away from her with one arm draped over her waist._

_Haley didn't know what to do. She was in shock. What was her husband doing in bed with another woman?Should she just turn around and leave, pretending she didn't see anything, should she yell and scream or just go to her room and sleep. There was a part of her that needed to see this woman's face. She needed to know what the she looked like, the woman who was sleeping with her husband. Haley took a step closer to the bed to get a better look and couldn't hold in the small whimper that passed her lips…. Taylor._

"Taylor" she cried out as she bolted upright, waking from her nightmare. If only it had been justa nightmare, instead of the reality she was now faced with.

* * *

Peyton awoke early in the arms of her fiancé. She couldn't help but smile at the thought of what had happened last night. It was definitely one of the best nights of her life. Not only did the man she love, ask to spend the rest of his life with her, he asked her to officially become the mother of his child. And then they had celebrated the news that they were going to be parents again. Life was good.

"Baby, you don't have to get up yet do you?" asked a sleepy Jake

"Yeah. I have the final fitting for my bridesmaid dress in just over an hour. Brooke will kill me if I'm late."

He pulled her closer to him and whispered "Ten more minutes? Please?"

Peyton relaxed in his arms, never able to resist his pleading. She lay with him for another twenty minutes and then hurriedly had a shower and made her way to Brooke's which was just on the other side of the apartment complex.

She knocked on the door and was surprised to see Haley in her outfit from the night before.

"Haley? I thought you were going home last night?"

"Oh. I was, but I got really plastered and somehow ended up back here" she laughed, though Peyton could clearly tell Haley was exhausted and finding it hard to be cheerful..

"Ok. Well where's the bride-to-be? I thought she'd be up and at 'em this morning. She's been talking about this fitting for the last week."

"She's still in bed. I'm just gonna run home real quick and get a change of clothes. Can you please wake her up and tell her I'll be back soon." Haley said smiling before racing past her.

Peyton knocked lightly on the bedroom door, wanting to make sure she didn't catch the happy couple bumping uglies.

"Ugh. Come in" she heard Brooke call.

"Morning, sleepy head. You'd better hurry up and get ready or we'll be late for the fitting." Said Peyton teasingly, noticing that Brooke was obviously hung over.

Luke woke up to their conversation and rolled over to give his fiancé a kiss on the cheek. It only took him a moment to remember what had happened with his best friend.

"I should check on Haley" he said to Brooke

"Oh. She's gone" said Peyton. "She just left to go home and change and said she'd be back soon. I can't believe how alert she is this morning after getting so hammered last night." She laughed

"What?" asked the stunned couple asked in unison. They had expected to have to drag a sad and depressed Haley out of bed this morning. "How was she? Was she upset?"

Peyton was confused by their questioning, butreplied "She seemed fine to me. Just the usual Haley, but a little tired and probably hung over. She said she gotreally drunklast night and that's why she stayed here. Why? Is there something I should know?" she asked suddenly concerned by their behaviour.

"I guess not" said Luke looking at Brooke.

Brooke got out of bed in her pink pyjama bottoms and tank top, making her way past Peyton into the kitchen. Peyton followed her friend who was now making coffee and asked "Come on Brooke. What happened last night? You guys were obviously concerned about Haley."

"Well. She left before me last night to go home, but when Luke and I came home, we found her balled up on the couch asleep. It was obvious she had crying and was completely exhausted. We figured she must have had a huge fight with Nate for her to stay here and not at home with him and Levi."

"Well I guess you guys read too much into it. She really seems fine, and it can't be that bad if she's going home to change." Said Peyton, but noticed Brooke wasn't entirely convinced. "We'll just see how she is today, and if something happened she'll want to talk about it. Ok?"

"Yeah. You're right." Said Brooke with a smile.

* * *

Haley entered her apartment to find Taylor in the kitchen making coffee.

"Haley-bub" she yelled before running to greet her sister at the door. Haley had decided she didn't know how to deal with the situation yet, so she was going to pretend nothing happened and avoid both of them until she could figure something out.

"Hi Tay." She said as her sister enveloped her in a big hug. She was wearing a the skimpy pink top that Haley had found the night before along with tiny pyjama shorts. When Taylor hugged her, she thought she might throw up feeling her sisters skin against her own. It was sickening to think of what her husband had done to that skin the night before.

"Look Tay. It's great to see you, but I'm running late for something, so we're going to have to catch up later ok." She said pulling away.

She looked up to see Nathan exiting the bathroom in his robe. He smiled warmly upon seeing his wife and at that moment she wanted to scratch his eyes out. Instead she just looked at Taylor and said curtly "I'm sure my husband can keep you occupied for a few hours"

Taylor's lips curled into a massive smirk. "Oh, I'm sure he can" she said looking in Nathan's direction.

Nathan rolled his eyes and walked past her to see Haley. "I'm glad your home, I thought you were gonna come back here last night, but I'm guessing you partied a little too hard and stayed with Brooke?" he asked chuckling.

Haley didn't respond. She knew if she opened her mouth just then, all hell would break loose. Nathan moved to kiss her on the lips, but she visibly flinched and moved her head to the side so that his mouth connected with her cheek instead. Nathan gave her a questioning glance, but she just ignored it and mumbled that she needed to get changed and go while making her way to their bedroom and slamming the door.

"What's up with her?" asked Taylor.

Nathan took his eyes off the door and looked at his sister-in-law. "I… I don't know. She's probably just hung over" he said unconvincingly.

The rest of the day, Haley managed to avoid both Nathan and Taylor as well as questions from Brooke and Lucas, because everyone was just so busy organizing last minute things for the wedding the next day. Haley even managed to stay at with Brooke instead of having to go home that night. She talked Lucas into staying with Nate, saying it was bad luck for them to spend the night together before the wedding. So she gathered everything she needed for the wedding, as well as Levi's things for the next day and slept in the same room she had the night beforein her friend's apartment.

Nathan knew something was wrong, but she had valid excuses for being unable to spend time with him or Taylor. So he just let it go and decided that if it was stress from being the maid of honour, she would be fine after the wedding, and if it was something else, they would have time to talk after it was all over.


	36. The Wedding

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or any of its characters.**

Haley stood in the church wishing the wedding was over and she could just leave. The morning had gone smoothly with no problems, and now she was waiting for the wedding march to begin so that she could walk down the isle followed by Peyton and finally Brooke. She felt illthinking about her ownwedding. Both of them actually. Remembering how Nathan had promised her forever. Always and Forever. Now she had to watch her best friends promise their eternal love to one another and she felt as though she would rather kill herself than have to stand there and listen to it while Nathan stood opposite her on Luke's side of the wedding party.

"It's just one day. You can get through this Haley" she said to herself

"Hey. I'm the one who's supposed to be nervous. Not you." Joked Brooke who had just come up behind her.

"You're not nervous Brooke, and we both know it." Said Haley plastering on a smile.

"I know. Everyone said I would be, but I'm just not. I know that this is the right thing. Lucas is my soul mate and we're going to be together forever. I just can't wait to get out there" she said excitedly.

Haley was brought out of her dreary thoughts by Brooke and her excitement. The bride looked absolutely stunning. Her dress was almost a soft golden colour. She had opted out of wearing white, simply stating that anyone who knew her would know she wasn't pure anyway. It was a strapless two piece corset and skirt ensemble. The corset had bead and lace embroidery, and the flowing skirt was long, reaching the floor. Her hair was out in loose curls that fell around her shoulders and her make up was barely there with a little mascara and eyeliner, but to glam it up a little she had a deep rose pink coloured lipstick that matched the flowers in her bouquet.

Haley and Peyton were in matching deep heritage green dresses. They too were strapless and tapered in at the waist, before flaring out to just below the knee. They wore gold shoes and also held the same flowers as were found in the bride's bouquet. Both girls had their hair up with tendrils falling softly around their faces. Brooke had also chosen for them to wear the same soft make up that she had. All three of them looked breathtaking.

"Ok. That's us" said Peyton as the wedding march began.

Haley walked through the open doors and felt a little nervous as all the guests turned to watch them walk one by one down the isle. She decided to focus on something to stop herself from getting so nervous that she fell or did something else equally as embarrassing. She looked up and saw her best friend standing near the priest. He looked so happy, not to mention handsome. He had gone for a traditional black tuxedo with white shirt and a tie that matched the colour of the bride's flowers. Both Nathan and Jake had the same tuxedos on but had green ties to match the bridesmaids dresses.

Haley and Peyton reached the front of the church and turned to watch as Brooke made her entrance. Nearly every guest gasped when they saw how stunning the bride looked. She was absolutely perfect.

Haley could feel Nathan's eyes on her, but refused to look at him. It would be too much for her to handle and the last thing she wanted to do was make a scene at her best friend's wedding.

The rest of the ceremony went smoothly and the guests made their way to the reception being held across town. The bridal party however, had to have pictures taken in the gardens outside the church. Haley wanted the photos to be perfect for her friends, so she acted like the happy loving wife and smiled her most genuine smile, just wishing this day would end.

Haley spent most of the reception avoiding Nathan, which really wasn't that difficult considering there were so many people from Tree Hill that wanted to catch up with him. She spent most of her time with Levi, who was being looked after by Taylor. Everyone wanted to see the baby and chat to Haley about how he was going, so it kept her occupied and away from her husband. If only she could get rid of Taylor as well.

* * *

After a thousand and one questions about her son and how she and Nathan were doing, Haley needed to get away. She could feel herself slowly breaking down after being so strong for the past two days. Haley left Levi with Taylor and found a quiet place to sit, behind the marquee that the reception was being held in.

"Hales?"

"Jayden? What are you doing here?" she asked stunned.

"Well, after your call the other night, I just had to come and see if you were ok" he replied sitting down next to her.

Flashback

_Haley sat on the couch in Lucas and Brooke's apartment thinking about the image of her husband and sister in bed together. She just couldn't understand why he would do that to her. Didn't he love her? He said it so often, but maybe he never truly meant it. Was her 'perfect' life a lie? Haley had been sobbing for the past hour and couldn't getbeyond the hurt and betrayal she was feeling. She needed someone to help her. She needed someone to reassure her that everything was going to be ok. She needed someone who loved her the way her husband should._

"_Hello?" _

"_Jayden?" she asked softly_

"_Hales? Is that you?" he asked desperately_

"_Yeah. It's me." She said unable to hide her sobs_

"_What's wrong? Are you ok? Is the baby ok?" When he didn't get a response, he continued. "It's Nathan isn't it? What did he do to you?" he asked getting angry._

"_He… He cheated on me." She cried loudly this time_

"_I'll fucking kill him. I'm coming to see you babe. You need to get away from him" Jayden said still angry._

"_No. Just stop. This isn't helping." She exclaimed._

"_Well, what can I do to help? Just tell me what you need." He said sincerely_

"_Do you love me?" she asked in a whisper_

"_You know I do." After a few minutes of silence, he couldn't take it anymore. "Haley I'm coming to see you."_

"_Please don't Jayden. I'm sorry, I just needed to hear someone say that they love me."_

"_I do love you, Haley. I've loved you since the moment we first met. I love you. I love you. I love you" hechanted pleadingly_

"_I'm sorry. I have to go. Please forget I ever called." She cried before hanging up the phone. _

_She now had guilt to add to the hurt and betrayal she was drowning in. It was wrong to call him. She was leading him on and betraying Nathan. Haley knew she no longer had to worry about her husband's feelings, but she couldn't turn off her love for him, no matter how much she wanted to hate him at that moment._

_End Flashback._

Haley looked at her former friend sitting beside her. "You shouldn't have come. I should never have called you. It wasn't fair. I don't love you Jayden." She said looking away.

"I don't care Haley. I love you and I want to be with you."

Haley couldn't deal with this right now. These were words she wanted to hear from her husband, not an old friend who was infatuated with her. She stood up and went to walk away before he grabbed her wrist and pulled her back down onto the seat. He pulled her to him and kissed her forcefully. She was stunned and started to pull away, but as soon as his tongue entered her mouth, she gave in and responded. She got lost in the kiss. He wanted her. He loved her. He would never cheat on her.Jayden's hands cupped her face and pulled her closer, their tongues fighting for dominance.

Suddenly she pulled away. Her mind had cleared and she knew what they were doing was wrong. She was using him to forget her problems and possibly to punish Nathan a little as well. It wasn't like her to hurt people this way and she was disgusted with herself.

"Leave Jayden. This isn't going to work." She said before slipping away.

Jayden buried his head in his hands. Why couldn't this woman see that he would never be able to leave her alone. He had to have her, and now, after what Nathan had done, he would make sure he didn't miss his chance. He wasn't going anywhere.

* * *

A visibly shaken Haley re-entered the marquee, heading straight for Levi. She took him from Taylor, mumbling something about not feeling well and that she was taking her son home. Just as Haley got to the car she realized that she had left Levi's bag behind, and had to go back to get it. She was grateful when no one noticed her, and she was able to grab the bag and head out again very quickly..

Haley struggled a little with her son and the heavy change bag, but made her wayto speedily to the exit. Just as she was about to leave the marquee for the second time, she noticed Taylor across the dance floor standing with Nathan. They were chatting away and laughing as Taylor softly placed her hand on his arm. Haley could feel that hatred boiling up inside of her and she knew her marriage was over. She could never forgive Nathan for this. No matter how much she loved him. Haley looked at her son in her arms and began to cry. She could handle _her_ life being ruined, but it wasn't fair that her beautiful baby boy would be dragged into all of this mess. She slipped out of the tent once again unnoticed. Well, at least she thought no one had noticed.

Karen stood to the side watching Haley like a hawk. She had accidentally witnessed the kiss outside, but decided not to make her presence known. She didn't know what was going on, or who it was that Haley had kissed, but she was very concerned. It really wasn't like Haley to betray Nathan like that. After fifteen minutes of pondering the situation, Karen decided to go to Haley and Nathan's apartment and confront her about what happened.

She made her way over to Lucas who was chatting with some college friends.

"Hi mom." He said cheerfully. "You having a good time?"

"Of course I am. It's my son's wedding. It's one of the proudest days of my life." She said hugging him. "But there's something I need to do quickly, so I'm ducking out for a little bit. I won't be long, I promise."

Lucas didn't understand what could possibly make his mother leave his wedding reception, but trusted her judgement. "ok. Is everything alright?"

"Don't worry about anything. I'll fill you in later. Just enjoy yourself." She said before slipping away and heading for her car.

Brooke had noticed Lucas talking seriously with his mother and decided to see what was happening.

"What's going on? Where did your mom go?" she asked concerned

"It's nothing baby. Just something she had to take care of, she said she'll explain later." He said. She didn't look convinced so he decided to distract her. "Would you care to dance Mrs Scott?" he asked charmingly

"Well of course Mr Scott" she said, already forgetting about her mother-in-law.

Jake and Peyton were also dancing and saw the newlyweds approaching them.

"Having a good time guys?" asked Brooke to her friends

"We sure are" replied Peyton.

"Yeah. It's good practice for our own wedding" said Jake smiling at his fiancé.

"Our wedding. It still feels weird saying it." Chuckled Peyton

"I forgot to tell you. I spoke to Nikki's parents this morning and they said that she agreed to the adoption. Apparently she's found herself a new boyfriend and a new life which Jenny doesn't really fit into. So all we have to do is get the paper's drawn up and signed." He said smiling

Peyton was so excited. She couldn't help the squeal that escaped her lips. A few fellow dancers looked at her questioningly, but she didn't care. Jenny was soon going to be hers and she wanted to sing it from the rooftops.

"I'm so happy right now Jake. Everything is perfect."

"Me too." He whispered before kissing her softly.


	37. Confrontations

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or any of its characters.**

_**Author's Note: Hey guys. I'm glad you're all enjoying the Naley drama, but I have to say I'm having some serious writer's block. I just don't know where to take the story at the moment, so don't be too upset if I don't have a new update everyday. It's actually really hard to update so often. If you have any thoughts on where you would like the story to go, then please let me know. Thanks**_

****

Karen entered Haley's apartment and called out her name. There was no response, but she could hear movement in the bedroom. She walked into the room to find Haley packing a suitcase.

"What are you doing?" asked Karen urgently. Haley just ignored her and kept packing. "Where are you going?" she yelled louder this time. Karen was getting quite angry with Haley. First she kisses a strange man, and now she's packing her stuff to leave Nathan again. It was wrong and Karen was going to let her know it.

"Damn it Haley. Stop this right now!" Karen yelled grabbing hold of the younger woman's shoulders.

Haley looked into Karen's face and broke down. The tears began to flow freely down her cheeks and she slumped down onto the bed. Karen sat down next to her and pulled her into a hug.

"I don't know what's going on Haley, but you need to talk to me. I saw you kissing that man at the wedding. Why would you do that Haley?" asked Karen pleadingly

"It was a mistake. I'm sorry Karen. I know I'm a bad person, but he hurt me so much and I wanted to hurt him back" she cried

"Who hurt you? Nathan?" Karen asked softly

"He cheated on me Karen." She choked out

"Are you sure?" asked Karen obviously shocked at the revelation

"I found him and Taylor in bed together. I don't think I can be any more sure than that." Haley spat out, her anger surfacing again. She calmed down a little and continued "I came home from the hen's night and found them in the spare room, Taylor's room, and neither of them know I know about it."

"I'm so sorry Haley." Said Karen stroking her hair which was now loose that she had changed from her wedding clothes. "You need to talk to him Haley. You can't just leave with his child. He loves you and he loves Levi."

"Please don't take his side Karen. Don't defend him. He doesn't love me. He could never have slept with Taylor if he loved me. She's still staying here, you know." Haley scoffed "Every time I enter this house now, I wonder 'Did they do it on the kitchen table? Did they they have sex on our couch? Did he fuck her on our bed?" Haley sobbed

Karen knew there was nothing she could do right now for Haley. So she stood up and asked "Will you please just promise me you'll think this through? Think about it before you run away again. You regretted it last time, and I know you'll regret it again."

Haley looked up at Karen angrily. "I'm not running away. I just can't stay here with him. I need a few days to figure things out. I'm not taking his child away from him Karen, I wouldn't do that. Levi deserves to know his father, even if I'd prefer to forget him altogether"

Karen decided it was time to leave and headed for the front door. Just as she opened it, she found Jayden standing outside. She glared at him before pushing past and walking to her car.

* * *

Back at the reception, Taylor had informedNathan of his wife's sudden departure andwere discussingher odd behaviour over the past couple of days. Neither of them knew what was going on and had no luck in getting close enough to her to even talk about it.

"I should probably go home and talk to her" said Nathan dejectedly

"I really don't think you're going to get anywhere with her tonight Nathan. Just wait until tomorrow and we can both sit down with her and make her tell us what's going on." Said Taylor.

"She's so stubborn" said a frustrated Nathan

Nathan watched as a tall dark haired man slipped his arms around Taylor's waist from behind and gently kissed her neck. He couldn't recognise his face, but knew he had seen him before.

"Who's stubborn?" the man asked Taylor trying to join the conversation

"God, Jason. Rude much?" asked Taylor jokingly "You don't just interrupt someone conversation like that"

"I'm Jason." He said as he stuck his hand out for Nathan to shake. "We met the other night at your place"

"Oh yeah. That's right, you stayed over with Taylor" said Nathan finally remembering who this guy was. He then looked at Taylor with a smirk "When she rocked up unannounced at midnight after months of no contact"

"Yeah, well I guess she tends to that. Anyway, thanks for letting me stay that night. I hadn't organised a hotel or anything yet. It was really cool of you man." He said with a genuine smile

"No problem." He replied before looking once again at his sister-in-law "But next time you guys might wanna be a little more discreet. I really didn't need to hear you two going at it" he laughed.

"I told you straight up that I came to get some lovin' and that's exactly what I got" she said looking at Jason while pinching his ass.

* * *

Karen made her way back to the wedding reception and entered the marquee, searching for Nathan. She found him exactly where he was earlier, talking to Taylor and another guy who appeared to be Taylor's date for the evening. She marched over there and pulled Nathan aside asking to speak with him in private. He agreed and they made their way to a bench outside.

"Karen. What's going on?" he asked a little pissed off that she was acting so haughtily and dragging him out of the reception.

"That's what I'd like to know Mister. How the hell could you two do that to Haley. I can understand it from Taylor, she's always been a manipulative little hussy, but you! I never thought you would sink that low Nathan Scott!" she yelled.

"What the hell are you talking about?" he yelled back

At this point Taylor and Jason had joined them outside. Jason had tried to talk Taylor into minding her own business, but she knew something major was going down and had to see what it was.

"Are you ok Nate? What' going on?" asked Taylor

Karen whipped her head around to look at the blond woman. "Don't even get me started with you, missy" Karen stated angrily through gritted teeth. "Sleeping with your sister's husband! Even that's a little low for you, don't you think?"

"Excuse me?" yelled a dumbfounded Taylor. She had no idea what Karen was talking about.

* * *

Jayden walked into the apartment and saw Haley sitting on her bed next to a half packed suitcase. This was his opportunity.

Karen's words were running through Haley's mind. She knew it was wrong to just leave, even if it were only for a few days. She had to talk this out with Nathan before she went anywhere.

"You can stay with me or Rosie for a while Hales." He offered smiling

Haley was shaken from her thoughts when she realised Jayden was in the doorway. She hadn't expected him to just show up at her house. Haley walked past him out into the living room, not feeling comfortable with another man being in her and her husband's bedroom.

"I'm not going anywhere Jayden. I was going to, but I can't just take off with Levi for a few days without talking to Nathan." She said as he followed her into the living area.

"Haley! The asshole cheated on you. You don't owe him anything" he yelled in exasperation

"This is complicated. There's a child involved. Levi needs his father. I hate what Nathan did to me, but I'm not taking his son away from him." She explained.

Jayden stood closer to Haley, taking her hands in his. "Levi doesn't need Nathan. I was there for you when you were pregnant. I loved you. I loved your baby as though it were my own." He then tightened his hold on her hands. "You'll come and live with me. I'll be Levi's father"

Haley was starting to feel extremely uncomfortable with the situation. Jayden was no longer sounding like a man who was simply infatuated with her, it was more like an obsession and he was scaring her. She jerked her hands away from him.

"Jayden. Listen to me. You are not Levi's father. You are not my husband. I'm sorry that I kissed you before, it was a mistake, but I was upset and after Nathan cheated on me I needed to feel loved again, but I don't love you Jayden. I feel like such a terrible person for treating you this way. I'm sorry for everything, but you need to leave." She said firmly, trying not to show her fear.

Jayden's face turned red and she could see the anger gleaming in his eyes.

"What!" he screamed at her

* * *

Jason stepped forward this time and turned to his girlfriend. "You've been sleeping with him?" he asked sounding extremely hurt and angry.

"No. I haven't slept with him. Well, I have, but that was years ago. I'm not sleeping with him now" said a flustered Taylor

Nathan looked at Karen. "You know I'd never do that to Haley."

Karen could see that Nathan was being sincere and wondered if Haley had gotten it wrong.

"Well, that's what I hoped. But after what Haley told me…"

Nathan interrupted her immediately. "What?" he asked in frustration "What did she say?"

Karen explained to them that she had just left the apartment after Haley broke down and told her what she had witnessed.

"That's ridiculous" exclaimed Taylor. "It was me and Jason in that room. He stayed over that night."

"Yeah. I fell asleep in the hammock in the backyard… by myself" confirmed Nathan. He remembered how he was sick of hearing Taylor and Jason, and decided to get some rest out on the back porch, taking the baby monitor so he could hear Levi if he woke up.

"So Haley thinks I cheated on her?" he asked astounded, before getting a little pissed off "I can't believe she actually thought I cheated on her. She should know me better than that" she said seething.

Karen tried to calm him down. "Nathan. Look at it from her perspective. You and Jason, well, you two are a similar build, you have similar hairstyles. She walked into a darkened room and saw the back of Jason draped over her sister. Even without the shock and a million emotions running through her head, it would be easy for her to mistake Jason for you.

Nathan realised what Haley must have seen and what thoughts would have been running through her head. He was surprised she had managed to act so civilly towards either of them for the past few days.

"I have to go home and get this sorted out." He told Karen, but stood still, not knowing exactly how he was going to approach it with his wife.

Karen took hold of his arm and urged "You need to hurry Nate, because when I left she was packing some of her and Levi's things. I think she had someone there to pick her up."

"Who?" he asked immediately

"I don't know who he was. He was tall, had a shaved head and some tattoos. I've never met him before, but he showed up just as I was leaving." Said Karen. She left out the bit about Haley kissing him earlier. That was something Haley had to tell him.

"Jayden!" gasped Nathan.


	38. Just In Time

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or any of its characters**

**_Author's Note: I'd like to say a big thank you to everyone who offered their thoughts and story ideas. I think i've com up with a new direction to take the story in.This chapter was the last oneI wrote before my writer's block, and I was actually amazed by how many of you suggested a smiliar plot line to what i have written here. Anyway, I will still try to have daily updates, but my schedule is pretty busy soI can't guarantee anything. Thanks for the support and please keep up the reviews._**

Haley flinched as Jayden yelled at her and soon heard Levi's screams from the nursery. Turning to check on her son, Haley felt his hand on her arm and before she knew it he had pushed her to the floor. Soon he was straddling her while pinning down her arms.

"I know you love me Haley. We are meant to be together." He said before roughly kissing her neck and mouth while she tried to get out of his grip.

"Get off me Jayden. You're fucking crazy. This isn't love. You're assaulting me!" she screamed into his face.

He just kissed her mouth to silence her. He released his grip on one of her arms before pulling up her skirt. She tried to push him off with her free arm, but he was too strong. He continued edging the skirt further up and rubbed his hand over her inner thighs, lightly brushing the edge of her underwear. Tears started to fall from her eyes as she realised that she wouldn't be able to over power him.

"Please Jayden. Please stop." She whimpered. He ignored her so she screamed. "Stop! Get off me!"

Nathan heard her screams as he ran towards the house. He entered to find Jayden on top of his wife, kissing her with his hand up her skirt. He grabbed Jayden in a headlock and pulled him up before punching him in the jaw. It wasn't long before the two men were in an all out brawl.

Haley stood up, straightening herself out and realised that the situationmight get really ugly. She knew one of them could get seriously injured or worse if she didn't stop it. She tried to get their attention, but couldn't get close enough without copping a hit herself, so she resorted to screaming at the top of her lungs.

Both men stopped and turned to face her, a little stunned by her ear piercing scream.

"Jayden, get the fuck out of my house and my life. Never come near me or my family again. And Rosie is going to hear about this, so I'd start looking for a new job if I was you." She said calmly but forcefully.

Nathan grabbed Jayden and pushed him through the doorway, before closing it behind him. He turned around and leant against it catching his breath for a moment, before starting to make his way over to his wife.

Haley put her hand up gesturing for him to stay where he was.

"No Nathan." She choked out, not wanting him to come near her. She was so glad he had arrived when he did to help her, but she still couldn't forgive him for his betrayal.

"Haley. Karen told me what you said about me and Taylor. I didn't cheat on you. You should know I'd never do that to you" he pleaded stepping forward.

Haley let out a sad laugh. "You know what? You're right. I should know you'd never do that. And if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, then I wouldn't have believed it." She said trying not to cry.

"Just let me explain." He pleaded once again.

"Explain what? That you were sleep walking and accidentally took off all your clothes and hopped into bed with my sister?" she said incredulously. "I don't wanna hear it Nathan."

Haley saw the front door open again and feared that Jayden had come back to cause more trouble, but soon saw that it was her sister followed by another man she'd never met before.

Haley let out another hollow laugh. "And the punches just keep on coming" she said glaring at Taylor. "You've got a lot nerve Taylor. But you know what? You win!" she exclaimed before looking at Nathan "You can have him. But Levi is my son, so if you're intent on taking over my life, you might wanna start working on getting knocked up. I don't think you two will have any trouble in that department." She added sarcastically

"Would you just shut up and listen" yelled Taylor.

Haley's jaw dropped in shock. She was the one who had been wronged and Taylor had the audacity to yell at her in her own home?

Taylor's face softened and she took hold of Jason's hand. "I'm trying to introduce you to Jason… my boyfriend. You know, the guy you saw me in bed with the other night"

Haley looked between Taylor and Jason, then over to Nathan trying to absorb what she was being told. Jason was extremely uncomfortable and didn't know what to say, but settled for an apology.

"I'm sorry about the mix up" he said smiling politely at Haley.

She was staggered. Was it true? Had she really made such a terrible mistake? God, she hoped so. But then what about Nathan? She had so readily believed that he betrayed her. He must be so hurt that she could believe it. Why hadn't she just confronted the couple that night, then none of this would have happened. Haley felt herself getting dizzy before she blacked out and fell to the floor.

* * *

Haley opened her eyes and realised she was lying on her bed. 'How the hell did I get here?' she thought to herself.

She heard her husband's voice "Welcome back baby" She turned her head to see Nathan had been watching over her.

"How long was I out?" Haley questioned, still lying there looking at her husband.

"Just a few minutes. How are you feeling? It's been quite a day, huh?" he asked

A light chuckle escaped her lips. "I feel like an idiot" she replied cupping his cheek with her palm. "I'm sorry Nate."

"Hales. It's ok. I'm just sorry you had to go through this the last couple of days. I understand why you thought… ." Nathan trailed off unable to say that his wife thought he was cheating on her

"I should have just talked to you about it, instead of stewing on it." She said apologetically

"Babe, I'm the king of avoiding my problems, so you don't need to apologise to me." He kissed her softly and lay down, taking her in his arms.

After a few minutes Haley spoke "Do you think we should head back to the reception?"

"No. It's ok. Taylor's gone back and she's going to have a word with Lucas for me."

"Good. I don't think I could handle going back" she whispered

Nathan stroked her hair and kissed her forehead lovingly. "Levi's sleeping now so we can just lay here for a while ok."

Nathan felt Haley stiffen in his arms, but decided not to ask her what was wrong. She would tell him when she was ready. He saw her lift her eyes to him and struggle for words.

"Nate. There's something I need to tell you." She stated hesitantly

"What?" he asked suspiciously

"Jayden came to the wedding… and he kissed me." Now it was Nathan's body that went rigid. "And I kissed him back" she added tearing up.

The confession sent Nathan spiralling. He had worked so hard to suppress his jealousy of this man that Haley swore she had no feelings for, and now she had kissed him… again.

"Why? Why would you do that Haley? I thought you didn't have any feelings for him!" he said trying to control his jealousy and anger.

"I don't know." She took a deep breath "That's not true. I do know. After what I saw the other night, I was so upset thinking that you had slept with Tay and I started to think that you didn't love me, and maybe never had. I was so hurt… and scared I guess. Scared that you and me were just a lie. When I got to Brooke's I called Jayden."

"Haley!" he gasped, shocked that she had initiated contact with him after everything that happened with his letter.

"Please understand Nate. I was alone and upset thinking that my husband didn't love me. I called him because I had this sudden need to hear the words, even if they came from the wrong person. But then he said it and it felt wrong. I still loved you, even though I wished I could just hate you." She lifted her hand and gently stroked his face and continued. "I asked him to forget that I called, but then, today, he just showed up.

Nathan took her face in his hands and stared intently into her large brown eyes. "I need to know something Hales. I need you to tell me the truth." She nodded "Were you going to leave with him? He choked out, gesturing to the suitcase on the floor. The thought of her leaving him, killed Nathan inside.

"No! I promise you, Nate. I would never have left with him. It was a shock to me when showed up here at our house. I had already told him to go back to Florida." She replied urgently, needing her husband to believe her words.

"But you were going to leave me." He whispered dejectedly

"Nathan. I was going to get away for a few days to think the situation through. I couldn't stay here with you and Taylor. I thought you were betraying me." Her heart broke when she saw Nathan starting to cry. "But I wasn't running away. I couldn't take Levi from you."

Nathan pulled her closer to him, still crying softly for what he almost lost.

Haley wanted to explain everything to him, so she continued "After Karen came over, I stopped to think about what I was doing. I realised it was wrongso I decided to stay and confront you about it. Jayden saw that I had been packing and tried to convince me to start a new life with him. He wasreally determined that it scaredme,so I reminded him that he wasn't Levi's father, nor was he my husband. That's when he, he lost it and he…"

Haley took a few deep breaths as tears rolled down her cheeks. The reality of the situation had hit her. She realised then, that if Nathan hadn't come home when he did, she would have been raped.

"Oh God, Nate. Thank you for stopping him." She cried leaning into his chest.

"I promised to always protect you Hales. Always and Forever." He whispered.

* * *

Later on that night, the wedding reception had wound down and there were only a few guests left, most of whom were blind drunk and had to be sent home in cabs.

"Drive carefully" yelled Luke as his mother and Deb drove down the driveway, making their way back to Tree Hill.

"We're off now." Said Peyton who was holding hands with Jake next to the cab that was waiting for them.

"Thank you for everything guys. It was a perfect day." Said Brooke, hugging her friends.

"Yeah. Thanks. I hope you had a good time" added Luke

Jake pulled his fiancé closer to him and smiled at the newlyweds. "We had a wonderful time, but we better get in this cab before he takes off." He said opening the door for Peyton to get in.

Once Jake and Peyton had left, Lucas took his wife in his arms and rested his chin on her head. "You ready to go?" he asked.

"Yeah. But we're going in style" she said pointing to the limousine. The couple had decided not to take a honeymoon just yet, because they both still had classes, so they were waiting until the end of the school year. They were both silent during the ride back to their apartment, just happy to be in each others arms.

Lucas carried his new wife over the threshold and she was surprised to find the apartment covered in candles and flowers as well as incense burning. He put her down and she grabbed his hand, walking to their bedroom. Brooke was delighted to find her favourite chocolates scattered on the beadspread.

"Ooh. Chocolates. You're so getting lucky tonight Mr Scott." Said Brooke before giving him a quick kiss and eating one of the chocolates.

Lucas gave a little laugh and when his wife looked at him questioningly he just smirked and said "Works every time".

Brooke swatted him on the arm playfully, before giving him a soft kiss. Lucas quickly swiped all of the chocolates off the bed and onto the floor so that they could lay together.

"I can't believe we're married" she said

"Well get used to it, because now you're mine forever" he replied before kissing her softly on the lips. "Have I told you how amazing you look today" he asked wistfully

"Um… only a couple of hundred times" she giggled "But you can tell me again if you really want to."

Lucas bent his lips to her ear and whispered in a husky voice "How about I show you instead?"

Brooke smirked at him "I love the way you think".


	39. The Offer

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or any of its characters.**

**_Author's Note: I know nothing about basketball or the NBA, and didn't want to write about real people, so I have made up a fictional character in this chapter._**

It had been three weeks since the wedding and things were slowly gettingback to normal for everyone. Brooke and Lucas were still acting like newlyweds andPeyton and Jake wereorganizing the adoption and getting ready for thebaby.

Nathan and Haley were happy again and just enjoying spending time together, and with Levi as a family. Taylor and Jason had been staying with them in the spare room, and Haley found that she really enjoyed her sister's company. Taylor had surprised her with how much she had changed and grown up in the past couple of years.

Taylor had just finished doing the lunch dishes while Haley put Levi down for his nap. Nathan and Jason had gone to play some basketball after lunch.

"Tay. Can you sit with me for a minute" called Haley from the couch.

Taylor threw the tea towel on the dish rack and made her way over to her sister. "What's up little sis?" she asked in a cheery tone

"I owe you an apology" Haley said looking her in the eye

"No you don't" said Taylor nonchalantly. She knew exactly where this conversation was going, and Taylor had made enough mistakes in her life to know that Haley didn't owe her anything.

"Yes, Tay I do. I shouldn't have jumped to the conclusion that you slept with Nate." She said apologetically

"Haley-bub. What you saw must have looked pretty incriminating. Not to mention the fact that I've never given you muchreason to trust me." Taylor looked down at her hands, shamefully remembering the way she used to treat everyone, including Haley. She would hurt and taunt people for the fun of it.

"Well, I do, Taylor. I do trust you. I've been watching you the last couple of weeks and you've really changed." She said with a smile

"Thanks" said Taylor who was touched by her sister's comment. The girls shared a quick hug before Haley changed the subject.

"So tell me… what's the deal with you and Jason?" Haley asked in a very Brooke-like bubbly voice

"There is no deal. He's a guy. A hot guy… and they're my specialty." She said with a smirk

"Don't Tay." Haley said seriously

"Don't what?" Taylor asked trying her best to be innocent.

"Don't put on that act with me. Jason's not just some guy. I can see it in the way you look at him, the way you talk to him and the way he treats you. It's getting serious." Urged Haley

Taylor knew her sister was right, but she didn't want to jinx anything by getting her hopes up. Butshe was also sick of being alone and everyone thinking that she didn't care about anything or anyone. It really was time to change her life.

"Yeah. It's just scary, you know?" she responded timidly

"What's so scary?" asked Haley, knowing the answer, but also knowing that Taylor needed to voice her fears if she was going to work through them.

"Love. I'm in love with him Haley. I've never felt like this before and I don't know how I feel about it." She said before biting her bottom lip nervously.

"It's a good thing, Tay. Why wouldn't you want to be in a loving relationship with Jason, instead of having meaningless flings like you're used to?"

"He's the one." Taylor replied barely above a whisper.

"Really?" Haley asked her older sister, surprised by the revelation.

"Yes, and it terrifies me. How can I, Taylor James, be happy with one guy for the rest of my life. I just don't know if the commitment and settling down thing is for me. I don't even know if that is what Jas wants." She said looking sadly at her sister. "That's why sometimes I feel that I'm better off having casual flings. I can't get hurt that way."

Haley just sat back on the couch and thought about what her sister had just revealed to her. A few years back, Haley would have questioned whether Taylor could ever becontent to settle down and start a family, but lately she knew that it would make her sister happy. She had seen the way that Taylor watched her and Nathan together, and how they interacted with Levi. Taylor had admired the close bond the family shared.

After a few minutes silence, Haley asked "Tay.. What do you think of my family?"

"Huh?" asked a confused Taylor

"While you've been here, what impression do you get of my family? What do you think of my relationship with Nathan? What do you think of the three of us as a family?"

"I still don't see where you're going with this." Stated Taylor

"I know you Taylor. And I can see that you're worried that if you settle down with Jason, you'll feel trapped in a boring life." She said honestly

Taylor could see what Haley was getting at and was worried that Taylor was implying that family life was boring and mundan and onlyfor those without any sense of fun and adventure. That wasn't what she thought at all. She loved the idea of family and being happy with someone for the rest of her life, but she wasn't sure if she would be able to be content with that life.

"Oh. I'm not trying to say that about your life Hales. Please don't think that. I'd love your life. To be honest I'm a little envious. Nathan is crazy about you and Levi, and from the way you and Nate interact, I'm guessing your sex life is just as good as mine… if not better." She said with a teasing smirk.

Haley smiled at her sister. "What makes you think that you can't have that life too, Sis? You can have it with Jason. I know he's in love with you too." She said talking hold of her sisters hand reassuringly.

Taylor thought about everything the sisters had discussed. "And you're really happy, Hales? You don't have any regrets?" she asked

"Yes, I'm happy. I love my life. Things may not have happened exactly how I planned, but they lead me to where I am today. They brought me Nate, something I never would have dreamed of. Then we got Levi. Those two are my whole world and I wouldn't change a thing."

Jason and Nathan stood quietly around the corner in the hallway, listening to the conversation. They had come home fromtheir game of basketball with Luke and Jake, and upon hearing the girls talking, decided to listen in instead of making their presence known and interrupting the girls bonding session.

"We've got ourselves some pretty great women, don't we?" whispered Jason with a small smile

Nate smiled back "Yeah, we do."

* * *

"So how do youfeel?" asked Jake trying to suppress his excitement. 

"I can't believe it Jake. It's official. Jenny is my daughter." She replied with just as much enthusiasm as she lifted the toddler into her arms.

"I love you Jenny." She said placing a soft kiss on her forehead. The little cooed and wrapped her chubby arms around her mother's neck.

Jake watched Peyton with his daughter… now their daughter and knew he had made the right decision about the adoption.

"So, you wanna go home now?" he asked as they stood outside his lawyers offices.

"Actually, Brooke asked us to their place for dinner… to celebrate. And we haven't really seen them much since the wedding, so I said yes. Sorry, I forgot to tell you."

"That's cool. It sounds good. Are Haley and Nathan coming too? I played ball with Nate earlier and he didn't say anything." Said Jake.

"I don't think so. I get the feeling Brooke wants us to have some girl time, so you and Luke will probably have to amuse yourselves." She said with a smile.

"Fine. As long as we get some 'us' time later on" he smirked suggestively before giving her a cheek y wink.

"I think I can arrange that." She replied.

* * *

Later that afternoon Nathan, Taylor and Jason had decided to go to grocery shopping. Haley was tired and thought it best to stay home with Levi, instead of taking him out. He had a little bit of a cold and was quite fussy that day.She had finally managed to get him to go for another nap when the phone rang. 

"Hello?" she asked in a cheerful voice

"Hello. May I please speak with Nathan Scott?" came a deep, confident voice

"I'm sorry, he's not here at the moment. Can I help you?" she asked

"My name is Barry Masterson. Am I speaking with Haley Scott?" he asked

"Yes. This is Haley."

"Haley, I'm Coach Masterson of the LA Lakers. Could you please pass a message onto your husband for me?"

"Of course" she said a little surprised and curious as to why he was calling her husband.

"Can you please ask him to contact me about the offer. We need an answer soon. Please just let him know we'd really love him to join the team."

"You've offered Nathan a spot on the team… as in the LA Lakers?" she asked shocked

"Oh. Sorry. I just assumed he would have discussed this with you."

Haley chuckled halfheartedly "Yeah, well you'd think so, wouldn't you".She was a little disappointed that Nathan hadn't mention this to her, but she knew he would be running the offer through his mind thinking of every possible ramification and whether or not it was best for Haley and Levi.

Barry felt a little embarrassed and uncomfortable that he had just put his foot in it with Haley, so he decided to change the subject.

"I've heard so much about you Haley. It's a pleasure to finally speak with you." He said sincerely.

"Really?" asked Haley astonished. Haley wondered what possible reason she would have come up in a conversation between he and Nathan.

"You sound surprised" he replied.

"Well. To be honest, I didn't really think the player's wives would come up in conversation very often. Especially when the player hasn't even joined the team yet." She stated honestly, still surprised.

"They don't usually. But I've had quite a bit of contact with Nathan over the past couple of weeks, trying to convince him to play for us. He's very stubborn, your husband." Stated Barry with a gruff laugh.

"Don't I know it" replied Haley with a little giggle

"Nathan never stops talking about you and your son. Levi sounds like an adorable little boy." He said warmly.

"He is. It's funny how one little person can become your whole life. Do you have children Coach Masterson?" she asked

Barry usually didn't have much contact with his player's wives or family members. He didn't like to involve himself in their dramas. And he certainly didn't discuss his private life with them. But he could tell Haley was different. The kind of girl you would want as a daughter. She was such a warm and friendly person. Now he could see why Nathan spoke of her so much.

"Please call me Barry." He said warmly, before joking "But don't let your husband know I let you call me that. You'll ruin my tough guy image."

Haley could tell she would really get along with Barry. He reminded her a lot of Whitey. Tough and hard on the outside, but just a big softie on the inside. She knew that if Nathan played for him, Barry would be the right person to guide her husband both on and off the court.

"My wife Margie and I had a daughter, but she passed away quite a few years ago now. She was just about your age actually. Her car was hit by a drunk driver when she was on her way to work one morning." He said sadly

"I'm so sorry Barry. I don't know what I would do if I ever lost Levi."

"It wasn't easy to get past it, but life did go on and I still had my beautiful wife to live for. I had to go on for her." He said thinking about how hard she had taken their daughter's death. At times he thought he would lose her too.

"Well she's a very lucky woman to have you" stated Haley sincerely.

"No. I'm the lucky one. She's my world. My reason for getting up in the morning. Margie has the biggest heart of anyone I know. She'd do anything for the ones she loves." He said, smiling at the thought of his wife of 30 years.

"She sounds like an amazing woman. Maybe I'll get to meet her one day."

"I think she'd love that. You remind me of her. I can already tell that you have a kind soul."

"Thank you"

"Well, Haley, It has been such a pleasure speaking with you and I hope we get to meet soon."

"I hope so too. I'll let that husband of mine know that you called… and I think we need to have a little chat." She said with mock seriousness.

Barry couldn't help but laugh at her joke. He could just see that Haley was responsible for keeping her husband in line.

"Well don't be too hard on him. We need him in one piece."

"I'll try, but I can't promise you anything" she jokingly replied.

"Goodbye Haley."

"Bye Barry"


	40. I Love Brooke'

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or any of its characters**.

**_Author's Note: I'm sorry that this chapter is late. I tried to upload it for hours last night, but the site kept crashing on me._**

Jake, Peyton and Jenny reached the front door of their friend's apartment waited to be let in. Peyton held Jenny in her arms, while Jake had his arm wrapped protectively around his fiance's waist. This had been a really great day for all of them.

Brooke opened the door with a huge smile on her face. "Hey newfamily" she said excitedly as she moved aside for them to enter.

Jake and Peyton had to stifle their giggles as they took in Brooke's appearance. She looked like your typical 1950's sitcom housewife. She was wearing a blue 50's style dress with her hair and make up matching perfectly. She had a pink frilly apron on that had a couple of food stains on it, indicating that she had indeed been cooking. That in itself was shocking, because everyone knows that Brooke Davis does not cook.

Brooke closed the front door and turned to her guests who by now had burst out laughing. Even Jenny was joining in with her parents, oblivious as to why she what she was laughing at.

"What?"Brooke asked pouting

"Brooke. What's with the get up?" Jake asked after calming down.

"Yeah. I feel like we've walked into an episode of 'I love Lucy" chuckled Peyton.

Brooke looked a little offended by the comment, but quickly bounced back by exclaiming happily "I cooked dinner."

"When you say cooked… do you mean you baked something from scratch… or you removed it from the freezer and put it in the oven." Asked Peyton, a little scared of the answer.

"Ha Ha, very funny P.Sawyer. Thank you for having so much faith in me. I'm making it all from scratch and I only needed a little help from Lucas." She said proudlybefore her husband entered the room.

"Isn't that right Broody?" she asked looking for support.

"Yeah. You did a good job, baby." He said coming to stand behind her. Brooke's face lit up at his comment, but that was because she couldn't see the apologetic look he was giving his friends. They smiled back at him, the three of them knowing they would all eat Brooke's food and compliment her cooking no matter how bad it tasted.

"Now. Give me the little munchkin. I want a cuddle." Said Brooke taking Jenny from Peyton. Jenny loved her Aunt Brooke. The little girls face lit up every time she saw her. Brooke was just so good with children,they were drawn to her warm aura.

"Don't go getting any ideas" joked Lucas, seeing his wife fawning over Jenny.

"Hey. I'm not planning on losing this figure anytime soon buddy. I think it's gonna be you convincing me to have kids, not the other way around" she said handing Jenny over to her husband before heading into the kitchen to check on the roast chicken she had cooking in the oven.

"Yeah, thanks for reminding me of how fat I'm gonna get soon!" Peyton yelled after her.

"You're not gonna get fat." Said Jake reassuringly.

"Oh. Yes I am." She replied seriously, before smiling and adding "And I'm gonna love every second of it."

The rest of the evening was spent chatting about their lives. Peyton and Jake enquired about the life of the newlyweds and whether anything had changed since the wedding. Brooke and Lucas congratulated their friends on the adoption being finalized. They all discussed how nice it was to have everyone so happy and even though, Nate and Haley weren't present, they discussed how great it was that they had managed to stick together and see each other regularly after high school. Little did they know that this was all about to change.

* * *

Nathan and Haley lay in bed together that night, both tired from their busy days. Nathan hadlaced his fingers in hers and rubbed herthem gently. He loved that they could be together in such a comfortable silence, and could show their love for one another with such a simple gesture.Nathan was enjoying this opportunity to just relax and clear his mind because he had been so stressed lately contemplating the LA Lakers offer. He was pretty sure that he was going to turn it down, but knew he should talk to Haley about it first. 

Haley lay on her side with her head resting on his shoulder. Their lives were so hectic lately with the baby, that it was rare for them to have a chance to just be together in peace. Haley knew she may not get another opportunity like this to talk to Nathan about the phone call she had gotten from Coach Masterson.

"So Nate. I got an interesting phone call today." She said innocently

"Oh Yeah." Nathan said distractedly, still thinking about the offer.

"Yeah. I think I made a new friend." She added , knowing that he wasn't really listening. She planned to tease him a little. After all he deserved it for not telling her his news.

"That's nice babe" he responded, staring down at the top of her head.

"He's such a lovely person. It's like we just connected or something." She stated, waiting for his reaction

Nathan pulled away from her to look at her face before asking "He?"

"Mmm… Very interesting guy. Wechatted away like old friends. Apparently I'm a very charming woman." She said fighting the urge to smirk at the look of suspicion on her husband's face. She was loving every bit of this conversation. She enjoyed making him squirm.

Nathan was getting a little suspicious about this new 'friend' of Haley's. He didn't like the thought of a new guy entering her life. Jaydenhad beenbad enough.

"Who is this guy?" he asked in an aggravated tone.

"His name is Barry. Although I believe you would probably call him Coach Masterson." She said with a sly smile.

"You spoke to Barry Masterson?"

"Yes. And that's Coach Masterson to you" she admonished jokingly. "He called looking for you. He wanted to know if you'd made a decision about his offer." She added, looking at him expectantly

"Um. I meant to tell you. It's just…" he trailed off, not knowing how to explain himself and how he was feeling about the offer. He just looked away from her and was silent for a few minutes.

Haley was a little frustrated with his silence. She knew he was struggling with the decision on this offer and had to deal with his own thoughts before mentioning it to her, but she wanted him to talk to her and tell her how he was feeling.

She untangled her hand from his and reached so that she could turn his face to hers. "It's just what Nate? Why haven't you told me yet?" she asked softly, without reproach.

Nathan didn't know why he was surprisedat how understanding Haley was being. It was in her nature. If she had kept such a big thing from him, he would be furious, but here she was, being the ever patient, loving wife.

She gave him a smile. "This is such an exciting opportunity for you Nathan. I want you to share this kind of stuff with me."

"You're happy about this?" he asked, a little stunned.

"Of course I am! This is your dream babe." She said taking his hand in hers again and squeezing it reassuringly.

"I know, but if I say yes, our lives are going to be turned upside down." He said trying to show her why he has had such a hard time with his decision.

"Yeah, they will, but I'm your wife and I love you, so I'm going to support you. You deserve this Nate. If it's what you want, then you should go for it." She said passionately

He bent his head and captured her lips with his in a gentle kiss. "God, you're amazing. Thank you." He said before kissing her again.

* * *

A couple of days later, Nathan and Haley were enjoying a quiet dinner with Taylor and Jason. It had actually become a part of their routine lately, to sit down and eat together every night. The foursome had become quite close while living together for almost a month. They were eating in a comfortable silence when Jason cleared his throat. 

"I have some news" he announced

Taylor looked up at her boyfriend and smiled. "What is it baby?" she asked expectantly

"I got a job. Like a real job. I'm the new manager at The Music Den on Main Street." He said proudly. The Music Den was a very popular music store selling instruments, cd's and also had a small recording studio on the second storey.

Taylor's jaw dropped. She had known Jason for years, ever since they met as teenagers. He had always refused to get a serious job, stating that making music would be the only job he'd ever have.

"Not that I'm not pleased, but what brought this on?" she asked curiously

"I know we haven't really discussed the future, but I've reallyenjoyed staying here in Chapel Hill with Nathan and Haley. I know we're both wanderers and have enjoyed moving around with no ties to people or places, but I don't want that life anymore Tay. I'd like to stick around here. Will you move into an apartment with me?" he asked pleadingly, worried she would be freaked out by his obvious show of commitment to her. He knew Taylor well, and knew that her usual response to this situation would be to run, but he had heard her conversation with Haley and hoped thatthis time would be different.

Haley was just as shocked as her sister. She really hadn't expected this news from Jason. She looked at her husband could tell straight away thatit wasn't a surprise to him at all. She assumed that Jason had already discussed it with him andwas glad that Nathan was getting along so well with her sister's boyfriend.

Taylor jumped out of her seat, squealing excitedly. "I'd love to move in with you Jas." She said as she sat on his lap, before kissing him fervently.

Haley felt Nathan grab her handand looked up to see him pulling her away from the table. They had a brief conversation before joining the other couple who wereonce againseated in their own chairs.

"What were you two whispering about over there?" asked Taylor inquisitively

"Actually we were discussing an offer we'd like to make you." Said Nathan smiling.

"How would you guys like to rent this place from us?" Haley asked

"But where will you live?" asked Jason confused.

Taylor watched on curiously as Nathan and Haley smiled at each other.

"We'll be living in Los Angeles." Announced Nathan

"What!" squealed a shocked Taylor.

"Nate just signed a contract with the LA Lakers" said Haley proudly, hugging her husband

"Oh My God. Congratulations." Said Taylor excitedly

"Yeah, man. Congrats. When do you leave?" asked Jason

Nathan kissed Haley's forehead before responding "Three days."

The four friends spent the rest of the evening celebrating Nate's news and making arrangements for Taylor and Jason to take over the house. Haley watched on as the others drank merrily and chatted away about what life in LA would be like. She knew they had made the right decision, but she was sad about leaving this life behind. She would be leaving her closest friends who had been there for her for years. She would miss out on being an Aunt to Peyton's child. But surprisingly, one thing she would miss the most was her newfound friendship with hersister.


	41. My, Things Have Changed

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or any of its characters.**

**_Author's Note: Just letting you know that i have decided to skip forward a year in this story. Things have changed quite a lot for some of the characters and i plan on doing a lot of flashbacks showing how the characters got where they are._**

Haley stood in her bathroom looking into the mirror at her perfect hair and make up. Her dirty blonde locks were swept up into an elegant bun and her immaculate make up was simple and understated while accentuating her beautiful brown eyes and full lips. She assessed the reflection before her, noticing she looked much older than she was. Most people assumed Haley to be in her mid to late twenties, instead of her true age of nineteen years. Rather than appreciating how beautiful she looked, Haley just stared sadly at her reflection, focusing on her eyes which betrayed the happy image she depicted to the outside world. Her eyes told the truth. And the truth was that Haley James-Scott was miserable.

_Flashback_

"_Haley! Hurry up babe, or we'll be late" Nate yelled through the bathroom door._

_Haley had actually been dressed and ready for fifteen minutes, but stood in front of the mirror, assessing her reflection. She wanted to look perfect for tonight's dinner. The Lakers were throwing a formal dinner in honour of their newest team mate. Haley desperately wanted to make a good impression for Nate. She wanted the night to be absolutely perfect for him. Haley was brought out of her thoughts when she saw her husband come up behind her in the mirror._

_Nathan wrapped his arms around his wife's waist and leant his chin on her shoulder watching her reflection. She looked so beautiful tonight. He knew she was nervous about the dinner and worried that she wouldn't make a good impression with Nathan's new team mates and their spouses. He knew she was worried she wouldn't fit in._

"_You look amazing babe." He said making eye contact with her through the mirror._

_Haley smiled at his complement. It still amazed her that all she needed was a few words from her husband to completely lift her spirits. He could always put her at ease and make her feel special._

"_Thanks. You look pretty darn good yourself. That suit definitely agrees with you." She said as she turned around to take a better look at her husband and fix his tie which was slightly crooked._

"_Yeah, I do look hot, don't I?" he said with a smirk. Haley smacked his arm playfully, before turning her attention to her own outfit. _

_She was wearing a gorgeous black halter neck dress that reached just above her knees. The dress was backless and quite low cut, but looked sexy and elegant on her petit frame._

"_I've gotta say, I love the dress Hales." Nathan said while rubbing his hands over her hips and kissing her neck softly._

"_Margie helped me pick it out when we went shopping the other day." She said trying not to let on just how much her husband was turning her on._

"_I'm glad you two are getting along so well. Coach said you'd hit it off." He said while continuing further up her neck to nibble lightly on her ear lobe._

"_Mmmm… she's really great" Haley whispered, suppressing a moan._

"_I know I said I loved the dress, but I'm starting to think I'd love it even more if it was on the floor" he said huskily in her ear._

_Haley felt shivers down her back. She wanted nothing more than to make love to Nathan right then, but she didn't want them to be late._

"_We don't have time Nate" she said, regretfully pulling away from him._

_Nathan looked into her eyes and could see the same amount of love, lust, wanting and passion as he was sure she could see in his. He had to have her now. So in one quick movement he grabbed her hips and lifted her on to the bench by the sink, pushing the dress up her thighs._

"_You're right. We don't have time to take it off" he said grinning at Haley's stunned expression._

_He moved a hand to her thong and shifted it slightly to rub her centre. Haley responded by opening her legs wider and quickly unfastening Nathan's belt and dress pants, sliding her hand into his boxers to slowly stroke his now throbbing erection. She heard him moan and made quick work of pushing his underwear down to his thighs. Within moments he entered her and she wrapped her legs around his ass, pushing him further inside of her._

_He thrust into her quickly, both desperate for release in this frantic session of love making. Haley came first, shouting his name as her walls contracted against him, bringing him to his own orgasm. They stayed there joined together, both getting their breath back, before pulling apart to straighten themselves out._

_Haley watched with a smirk as Nathan got dressed. "What?" he asked upon noticing her expression._

"_Thought you didn't want to be late?"_

_He finished tucking in his shirt and leant close to her ear. "For that… I'd be late for anything." He whispered before leaving the bathroom so Haley could clean herself up and get ready to leave._

_End of Flashback_

Haley wasn't sure how long she had been reminiscing, but could only assume it was for quite a while when she heard her husband yell from their adjoining bedroom.

"Haley! Hurry it up! I'm not going to be late to another dinner because you can't get your ass into gear."

Haley flinched when she heard the bedroom door slamming and watched a tear fall down her cheek in the reflection before her. She wiped it away, careful not to ruin her perfect make up and wondered how her life could have changed so much in the one year since they moved to LA.

A few minutes later Haley reached the bottom of the stairs to see Nathan grabbing their jackets off the rack near the front door. She quickly made her way to the living room where she found Levi playing with his babysitter Rebecca. A smile spread across her face as she watched her son trying desperately to walk his way over to her. Levi had first started walking a couple of months earlier, but still lacked some coordination, so he tended to wobble and fall quite often. Haley thought it was adorable.

She moved forward and picked Levi up giving him a hug as he too wrapped his arms around his mother's neck.

"Hey baby. Kiss for mama?" she asked

Levi leaned in and gave her a sloppy peck on the cheek.

"I won't be home too late Becca. You know how much I hate these things" she said grimacing

"I know" laughed Becca. She had been Levi's babysitter for almost a year and had become quite good friends with Haley. "You look gorgeous tonight Hales. Very radiant."

Haley blushed at the compliment. "Thanks Becca." She said just as Nathan came up behind her and gave Levi a quick kiss on the forehead.

"Be good little man" he said before giving Haley a 'let's go now' look.

She handed her son to Becca and made her way out to the car, where Nathan was waiting impatiently.

Most of the car ride was spent in silence until Nathan turned to notice his wife was looking solemnly out the window.

"What's the problem Haley? I can see you're in a mood so we may as well have it out now." He said more harshly than he intended. Nathan knew he was being an ass, but lately all they seemed to do was fight and he was sick of it. The last thing he needed was for them to get into a fight tonight in front of the whole team. He really didn't want his marriage to be this week's gossip.

"Well for one, I'm a little pissed off that you haven't managed to spend more than five minutes with your son in the last week." She said dejectedly. Haley and Nathan had many fights about him not being at home to spend time with his family. And although she was troubled about the state of their relationship, she was more worried about her son growing up with a disinterested father.

"Let's not over exaggerate. You know I've had a lot on lately with practice and games, and the charity and promotional stuff. I always go in and see him when I get home." He said defiantly, knowing how lame it sounded and that his wife was right.

"I'm sure he's really going to appreciate all the memories he has of you two spending quality time together while he's asleep." She said sarcastically

"This so isn't even the issue that's got your panties in a twist tonight. Just tell me what it is." He retorted.

"You know exactly what's wrong, Nathan. And the problem is that you don't care." She said calmly, never moving her gaze from outside the window. Nathan was silent for a moment and Haley's anger grew. "And like you'd know what shape my panties are in Nate, you haven't seen them in months." She retorted, sadly reflecting on the fact that her husband had not touched her in the last two months. Whenever they fought, he would say that it was because he was so busy. Haley was never quite satisfied with that excuse because they had always had such a great chemistry and made time for each other no matter what.

"I know you don't want to go tonight Haley, but as the wife of a Lakers player, you have certain obligations." Nathan said wanting to avoid her last comment. He knew only too well that they hadn't had sex in months.

"Don't give me that shit Nathan. I don't have to be there tonight. Hell, even you don't have to be there. This is about you hanging with your team mates, surrounded by slutty cheerleaders. You want me to sit there being the perfect trophy wife during dinner before you send me home so you can go out and party with the guys." She spat out

"Here we go again! I'm starting to wish you weren't coming." He said angrily. Haley didn't respond or even look at him after that comment, so he took a hand off the wheel and moved her chin, forcing her to look at him. "Why are you coming if it's that painful? I've never forced you to." he questioned in a resentful tone.

Haley sighed deeply looking into his eyes and then his profile when he turned back to the road. At that moment she had to suppress her tears. She was looking at a man she didn't even recognize anymore.

"I'm going to walk in there tonight on your arm and pretend that we're the perfect couple that everyone thinks we are. I'll have mindless conversations with fake blonde, silicon enhanced bimbos… oh and I'm not referring to the cheerleaders, I'm talking about the whores that your mates bring with them. I'll sit back and listen to them discuss the latest gossip about which player is cheating on his wife or girlfriend and who they're doing it with." She stated jadedly.

Nathan knew she was right and felt himself getting defensive. He started to object when he was interrupted by her.

"They'll talk about how blind the poor woman is, or how pathetic it is that she sticks around for the humiliation. While the whole time I know every last one of them is wondering if it's happening to them too." She said coming to the end of her rant. Then she said more softly "Even me" trying not to let her voice break.

She was right. It was a part of his world. Hell, half of the team did cheat on their spouses regularly. Nathan knew that Haley had some doubts and thought that he might have cheated on her, but she'd never once voiced her concern, not even in their most heated arguments. He was about to say something when she once again beat him to it.

"And you wanna know why I'm going to put myself through that? Because I'm tired Nate. I'm tired of fighting with you. I'm tired of worrying that all of our fighting is hurting our son. I'm tired of…" a sob escaped her mouth. "I'm just tired."

Nathan glanced at his wife and saw the few tears that she had let escape. She looked absolutely miserable, but what scared him most was that she looked defeated. Like she had given up. Given up on them and any chance of being happy again.

Nathan soon realized that they had arrived at their destination. He wasn't sure if he was disappointed or relieved that they didn't have time to discuss Haley's admission further. He knew things couldn't go on like this, but he was scared of talking about it. What would the outcome be for them?


	42. What Happened To Them?

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or any of its characters.**

"So I spoke to Hales today." Said Peyton as she put a diaper on her newly bathed daughter.

"Oh. Yeah. How is the California girl doing?" asked Brooke as she chose an outfit for the baby to wear.

"She said everything was going fine, but I still don't believe her." Peyton responded solemnly

Brooke looked up at her friend and saw the worry on her face. She couldn't blame her either. She too was worried about Haley and Nathan. They used to visit regularly and call a few times a week with stories of what they had been up to, but over the past couple of months that had all stopped. Haley barely called anymore, saying she was just too busy. When Nathan came into town for basketball, Haley and Levi never flew out to join him like they used to. And though they tried to hide it, their friends could tell that they weren't happy.

"There's nothing we can do. I know it sucks, but unless she comes to us to talk about whatever it is that's going on over there, then we have to keep out of it." Replied Brooke.

Peyton finished changing the diaper and gave her daughter to Brooke so that she could dress her.

"Come here Zetty" said Brooke sweetly, using her niece's nickname as she began to dress her in a cute little pink dress that she had made. Just as Brooke finished doing up all of the buttons, Peyton noticed her friend lifting her daughter up and smelling her backside.

"Elizette Louise Jagielski. I just finished changing you and you've already pooped." Said Brooke in annoyance

Peyton laughed which only annoyed Brooke more. "What are you laughing at? You need to teach your daughter some manners." She said trying to suppress a giggle at the funny situation.

"Yeah. I'm sure it will be real easy to teach a four month old that she's not to poop in a fresh diaper." said Peyton sarcastically, taking her daughter back from Brooke.

Brooke was about to respond when she felt small arms wrap around her leg. She looked down to see Jenny waiting to be picked up.

"Bwooooke!" whined a frustrated Jenny, when she wasn't picked up immediately.

"I swear P. Sawyer-Jagielski. You have these kids trained to get me wrapped around their little fingers. I just can't seem to deny them anything." She said as she bent down and lifted the three year old into her arms.

Peyton just laughed. "Well, I'm sure the same thing will happen to me when you have kids."

Brooke's face fell immediately and she remained quiet.

"Oh. I'm sorry Brooke. I wasn't thinking." Peyton said feeling guilty about bringing up such an uncomfortable subject.

Just then they heard the front door open and Jenny began to squirm in her Aunt's arms. "Daddy!" she yelled, knowing it was Jake getting home from work.

He entered Elizette's nursery a few moment's later and smiled widely upon seeing his wife and daughters, but his brow furrowed a little when he noticed Brooke.

"Hey Jake." Said Brooke wondering why he was looking at her strangely. She immediately froze upon hearing a very familiar voice coming from the kitchen.

"Pey. I invited myself over and bought us all Chinese. I know it's your favourite." Lucas yelled

Peyton glared at Jake for not giving her warning that Luke was coming over, but she knew she had no right considering she hadn't told him that Brooke was already there.

"Hey Jen." Said Jake as he took his daughter from Brooke and trying to avoid his Peyton's glare.

"Let's eat" said Luke before approaching the nursery. He stopped in his tracks when he saw his estranged wife. They stared at each briefly before Brooke turned to Peyton, giving her a peck on the cheek and giving a lame excuse about having to go home and finish an assignment.

* * *

Nathan tried to push his thoughts to the back of his mind as they walked into the foyer of the hotel where the dinner was being held. For tonight they would pretend, just like they always did. He seemed satisfied with this until they reached the French doors leading to the function. He glanced at Haley and noticed something unnerving for the very first time. She stood still for a moment before taking a deep breath, plastering on a fake smile and gently placing her arm in his.

His heart ached as he watched his wife making her routine transition. He felt as though he had broken her. The Haley he fell in love with would never put on a show like this for people that didn't matter to her. She wouldn't be anyone's 'trophy wife'. Who was he kidding? The Haley he fell in love with would never let herself be trapped in a life that made her so utterly unhappy.

Haley could feel her husband's intense stare and felt a little uneasy. Lately she had felt lucky if he even noticed her presence. After a few moments of pretending not to notice, Haley's curiosity won out and she turned to face him. His expression was unreadable. Not that it was blank, just that she couldn't tell what he was thinking. It looked like a mixture of hurt, pain, love and regret. He reached a hand out to softly cup her cheek and Haley couldn't help but close her eyes and enjoy his gentle touch. Just moments ago she was ready to slap him, but now she wanted him to hold her. At least they still had that. No matter how bad things were, they still had a connection and that gave her a small amount of hope.

Haley was so lost in her thoughts and in the sensation of his skin on hers that she had no idea how long they had been standing outside those doors, and she didn't care. Before she could open her eyes, Haley felt Nathan's lips press against her own. It was a soft, gentle kiss filled with longing, and he hadn't kissed her like that for such a long time. She felt his tongue trace along her lower lip begging for entrance, and she quickly complied. He soon had both hands cupping her face, while her arms wrapped around his waist.

Neither heard the doors in front of them opening, nor did they notice a very amused Coach Masterson smirking at them. They were finally pulled back into the real world when they heard one of the players wolf whistling from inside the formal dining room.

Haley blushed with embarrassment. A year ago she would have thought nothing of being caught kissing her husband in public, but it had been such along time since they were so affectionate with each other, that she felt as though the moment should have belonged just to them.

Nathan noticed her awkwardness and quickly grabbed her hand, interlocking their fingers and squeezing gently.

"Hey Coach. How you doing?" asked Nate with a genuine smile.

"Not as good as you I see." He teased, but inwardly he was quite stunned and pleased to see the couple looking so happy considering the rough patch they were going through.

"Barry!" squealed Haley knowing that his comment was meant to embarrass her.

"I'm sorry Haley. I just know how easy it is to make you blush." He said opening his arms to embrace her. Barry had become like a surrogate father to both Haley and Nathan over the past year. The younger couple had often had dinners at the Masterson household and Barry's wife Margie had become a very close friend and confidant for Haley.

"Hands off the husband kiddo" warned a smiling Margie as she joined them at the entrance.

"Margie! I didn't know you were going to be here." Exclaimed Haley giving her a hug. Margie just smiled at them all and then whispered in her ear "Thought you could use the back up tonight. I know how much you were dreading it"

"Thank you" Haley whispered back giving her another quick hug then going to stand with Nathan again.

* * *

Luke felt guilty that Brooke was leaving because he had decided to show up, but knew there was no point in trying to convince her to stay. Their hands brushed against each other as she passed him in the hallway and he felt the electricity race through his arm. She still did that to him, no matter how much he wanted to stop wanting her. But instead of grabbing her arm and making her stay, like his heart was telling him to, he watched her walk away… again.

_Flashback_

"_I cant do this anymore Luke." Said Brooke with tears streaming down her face. She turned away from him and headed towards their front door._

_He couldn't let her go like this. Sure, he was still mad as hell and sometimes it was hard to even look at her, but he knew if she left now it would be over. There would be no way to make their way back after this. He stepped forward and grabbed her arm turning her back to face him. She struggled and refused to look at him. Luke lifted her chin and kissed her hard on the lips. He stopped after a few seconds when he realized she wasn't going to respond to his kiss._

"_Dammit Brooke. We can fix this." He pleaded._

_She looked him straight in the eye. "No we can't. I thoughtwe could.I thought there may have been a chance, right up until you kissed me just now." She said sobbing._

_He didn't understand her reasoning and searched her eyes for an answer._

"_When you kissed me Luke, there was no love or passion. All I felt was lust, anger and desperation. You can't forgive me… and I don't want your forgiveness either because I don't need it. I did what I thought was right for me.. I'm just sorry that it ended us Lucas, because I still love you. I'll always love you, but I refuse to be with someone who harbors so much anger towards me."_

_And with that she turned to leave once again, but this time he didn't stop her. He just watched her walk away._

_End of Flashback_

Luke snapped out of his trance and turned to his friends. "You ready to eat?" he asked plastering on a fake smile.

"I'm sorry man. I didn't think to check if she was going to be here." Said Jake apologetically, feeling very awkward

"Don't worry about it. Besides, it's not your fault she's too immature to handle a situation like that." Luke said harshly trying to cover up his hurt and sadness.

Peyton bristled at Luke's jab at her friend. She knew exactly what had happened between them and had always remained partial with both of her friends, but she couldn't handle him speaking about Brooke like that.

"You know what Luke. I think I've suddenly lost my appetite." She retorted

Not wanting a fight to break out, Jake turned back to Luke and said "I'll be out in a few. Can you get out some plates?"

He then closed the door and walked to Peyton who was still fuming. He pulled her into his embrace and stroked her hair. "I'm sorry babe."

"It's ok. We just have to make sure this doesn't happen again." She said softly, then pulled way to look at him. "It scares me Jake."

"That isn't going to happen to us." He said firmly before kissing her lips softly.

Peyton hugged him again, hoping that he was right. But she couldn't help the fears that invaded her mind. She would never have expected that Brooke and Lucas' marriage would end within a year, and even though Haley denied it, Peyton knew that she and Nathan were having problems.

"It won't happen to us." He repeated, knowing what was on her mind.


	43. The Straw That Broke The Camel's Back

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or any of its characters.**

_**Author's Note: I haven't really had many reviews lately so I don't know how everyone feels about the change in direction for this story. Please review and let me know what you like and what you don't. Thanks.**_

The Scotts and the Mastersons walked towards the long table where the other guests were seated. Haley was relieved to find that she was seated between Nathan and Margie. Perhaps tonight she could avoid talking with the other spouses and cheerleaders.

Haley was in a bit of a daze. The evening had just begun but so much had already happened. First there was the argument with Nathan on the ride over, when she finally admitted her insecurities about his fidelity and then the kiss. That kiss was an unexpected yet perfect and long overdue sign from her husband that he wasn't giving up on them. She was full of relief, but also trepidation, not knowing what it would lead to from here. The more she thought about it, the more she worried. What if he only kissed her because she had admitted she was worried about him cheating? Did he just want to quell her fears and shut her up? No. She felt more than that from his kiss. Or maybe she was just so desperately wishing for more.

Haley was brought out of her reverie by a familiar yet, thoroughly annoying voice.

"Hey Superstar!"

Haley turned to see a beautiful young raven haired woman taking the empty seat next to her husband.

"Hey Kendra. How are you?" Nathan asked

Haley rolled her eyes. Kendra was one of the cheerleaders that she absolutely could not stand. She had no class, flirted mercilessly with all of the players, even if they're partners were present and unfortunately for Haley, she seemed to have taken a particular interest in her husband over the past few months.

"I'm great. Really looking forward to hitting a few clubs later though. You coming with us?" she asked placing her hand on his thigh.

Nathan felt very uncomfortable. It was blatantly obvious that Kendra wanted him. She had flirted with him from day one, but backed off after a couple of weeks when she realized that Nathan was faithful to his wife. But Kendra was like a shark sniffing out blood and ever since Nathan and Haley had started having problems, she was going in for the kill.

"Ummm…" Nathan stuttered not knowing what to say. He had promised a couple of his team mates he would go out with them tonight to celebrate one of their birthdays, but he didn't want to seem like he was going out because she was.

Kendra noticed Haley's eye roll and was thoroughly enjoying the fact that she was making the woman uncomfortable. As far asKendra was concerned Haley had nothing on her and Nathan would be hers in a matter of time.

"I would ask you to come out too, but I know you've got the little one at home. I can't imagine how busy it must be… you know, the life of a stay at home mum." She said feigning innocence at the cattiness and complete disrespect within her comment to Haley.

Haley stiffened at the insult, but quickly recovered. She had become good at hiding the fact that these hideous, bitchy women could hurt her feelings. She didn't fit in and they all knew it, therefore she usually wore the brunt of their insults. Haley couldn't care less that she didn't fit into their world. She would never want to anyway because it seemed to revolve around being as shallow and superficial as humanly possible, and that just wasn't her.

They hadn't always been that way to her. When Nathan had first joined the team, he was very protective of his wife and no one dared make a comment, but since they started to drift apart, he was oblivious to the fact that she was constantly insulted and treated like an outcast.

Nathan was quite shocked that Kendra would make such a snide remark to his wife. Lately, at these dinners he spent most of this time with the guys and left Haley to socialize with the other women, so he hadn't been exposed to their treatment of her. He felt the need to defend his wife, but didn't know what to say without causing a scene. He stared at his hands for a moment unsure of what to do.

"So. Are you coming out?" Kendra asked with a self satisfied smirk.

Nathan wanted to wipe the smirk right off her face. He knew it was a result of successfully insulting his wife. Then he realized that he hadn't so much as looked at Haley since Kendra sat down. He turned to her to make sure that she was alright and not too upset by Kendra's comment. But instead of finding her sitting beside him, he watched her back as she walked away from the table.

"Shit" he said quietly, worried about her. Tonight had been looking so promising for them, since he had kissed her earlier and now she would be angry and upset. He stood up to follow her, but was soon stopped by Margie, who had witnessed the whole conversation.

"I'll go. I really don't think she'll want to talk to you right now." She said without malice, before following in the direction that Haley went.

Nathan knew it was best to let Margie talk to her. She was like a mother to Haley and they had been spending a lot of time together of late. It dawned on him that Haley had probably been spending most of that time talking to Margie about their marital problems. Nathan tended to bottle up his feelings, but his wife was one to seek solace and advice from friends.

He wondered just how much comfort Haley had sought regarding their relationship. How much was this hurting her? He had been so busy with his new life and responsibilities to really take notice of what was going on at home. He had always thought that Haley was overreacting when they fought about him not spending enough time at home, but now that he realized just how miserable she was, he was thinking about what his life had become. And Nathan was pretty sure he didn't like it.

Margie found Haley sitting alone on a couch in an empty room down the hall from the dining room. She sat silently staring off into space.

"Haley?" she called softly. "Can I sit?"

Haley forced a small smile. "Sure. I guess you saw what happened." She said somberly

"Yeah. I did. I just wanted to check on you."

"I really appreciate it, but I can't help but think that was probably someone else's job" she said bitterly, wishing it was Nathan that had followed her.

"He wanted to, but I thought you might not want to see him right now." The elder woman said placing a reassuring hand on Haley's knee. "I don't' think he mean to hurt your feelings by staying quiet."

"It doesn't matter. Sure, it hurt me a little, but it's not like he hasn't disappointed me before." She sobbed.

Margie embraced Haley and let her cry. She knew she needed to just let some of the pain out before she drowned in it. Margie had been there to console Haley after her fights with Nathan, but she was usually just upset about him being away so much. She often wondered how the couple had managed to get to such a dark place.

"What did he do Haley? You've had concerns about Nathan's workload for a while, and you would fight about it with him. But it seems that something happened a few months ago to make you snap. You gave up hope that things would get better. What happened? You need to let it out." Pleaded Margie.

Haley knew she was right. There was one thing that changed it all. One argument that pushed her over the edge and made her realize that their marriage had changed. That was when she started to lose hope and the fighting became worse.

_Flashback_

_Nathan entered their bedroom to find Haley sitting on the bed, still not dressed for the fundraiser they were attending that evening._

"_Why aren't you getting ready?" he asked_

"_I don't want to go." She said flatly_

"_What do you mean you don't want to go?" he asked incredulously. "I know it was last minute and I only told you about it yesterday, but you didn't say anything about not wanting to go."_

_Haley was trying her best to suppress the anger that was bubbling up in side of her. She and Nate already had plans that were made weeks ago, but as was becoming more common of late, he had completely forgotten them due to work commitments._

"_I'm just not feeling well" she lied, not wanting to discuss her real reasons. It hurt too much to think about, let alone explain to him._

_Nathan could see right through her lie and his expression let her know it._

"_Ok. Fine. I just don't want to go. I want to stay at home and spend time with my family." She said hoping that Nathan would accept her new explanation._

_His expression softened a little. "I know. Me too" he said. Nathan missed the days when they would spend every night together curled up on the couch with their son. His life had become so busy that it wasn't possible anymore._

"_Really?" she asked with hope. Would he really give up some of his social commitments to spend more time with her and Levi?_

"_Of course I'd rather be at home every night than going to all these events and meetings." He said warmly_

_Haley smiled at his words, but immediately frowned when she realized there was a 'but' coming next._

"_But it's part of being on the team. I know all these things aren't mandatory, but certain people would frown upon me not being there." He said, trying to make her see the pressure he was under to be involved in all Lakers activities._

_Haley wasn't satisfied with that. She didn't understand why he couldn't compromise a little. _

"_Well, do you have to go to every single event? Do we have to be present at every dinner that's held?" she asked pleadingly, hoping he'd change his mind_

_Nathan knew that they were headed for another argument. He felt bad about not spending enough time with his wife and son lately, but he couldn't do much about it without pissing someone off._

"_I like the dinners. I get to spend the evening with my beautiful wife." He said sweetly, hoping to placate her._

_Haley couldn't believe he was trying to prevent a fight by treating her like an idiot. She was so mad with him right then she couldn't hold her anger in any longer._

"_Don't treat me like a child Nate. I'm not stupid. We barely even see each other the whole evening because you're off with your mates and I'm stuck with the 'slut brigade'." She spat out angrily_

"_Nice Hales. Real nice. I never thought you would be that judgemental. Those women have never done anything to you." He said scoffing at her last comment._

_Haley knew she should tell Nathan about the way she was treated by the other player's spouses, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She already felt pathetic enough that she let it bother her, the last thing she wanted was to look pathetic in front of her husband. She didn't want his pity._

"_You know what Nate? I don't care what you do tonight, but I'm not going. We had other plans that you've obviously forgotten, so just go." She said walking into the bathroom and locking the door._

_Nate was furious that she was speaking to him this way, but at the same time he was also a little bewildered. He didn't remember them having other plans for that evening. He racked his brain for a few moments, unable to remember and decided that it couldn't have been that important if she wasn't going to force the issue._

"_I'm leaving now. Don't wait up. I'll probably crashat one of the guys housestonight." He said before walking out thebedroom door. He felt guilty about leaving her so upset, but he was expected to be there tonight to meet with some important NBA officials. He just couldn't miss it._

_Haley waited until she could hear the front door closing and his car speed off before she left the bathroom. She picked up the phone and dialed._

"_Hello. You've reached Gianni's Restaurant. How may I help you?"_

"_Hi. I'd like to cancel my reservation for tonight. It's under 'Scott'. She said trying to keep her voice even_

"_Sure. That was at 8pm for two people?" He asked_

"_Yes."_

"_Ok. That's fine Mrs Scott. Have a good evening." _

"_Thank you." She said before hanging up the phone and burying her head in her hands._

_Haley lay back on their bed and looked at the ceiling, no longer holding back the tears she whispered_

"_Happy Anniversary Nate."_

_End of Flashback_

"That was the first time I knew something was really wrong." Haley said to Margie. The old Nathan would never forget our anniversary. He would have been the one to make elaborate plans. He's changed. I keep thinking that things will get better, but then we have another fight. He says he wants to spend more time with us, but doesn't follow through."

Margie felt sorry for Haley.She could see how that event would hurt Haley deeply and it was like the straw that broke the camel's back. The last little shove she had needed to go over the edge.

Margiehad heard so many stories from Haley about the couple and how in love they were. How devoted Nathan was toher. But it seemed like it was all slipping away from them.


	44. There's Always More To The Story

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or any of its characters.**

_**Author's Note: This chapter discusses a very sensitiveissue for some people. I am not giving an opinion through my story, just writing about real situations that can happen to real people.**_

Nathan decided after about half an hour that he should find Haley. He knew Margie would be looking after her, butneeded to see his wife. He needed to make things better. He needed to save their marriage.

"Nathan"

He heard his name being called and knew he couldn't get away with pretending he didn't hear it, so he reluctantlyturned around. Coach Masterson was gesturing for him to come to the bar. He was with a man that Nathan didn't recognize, but could only assume was someone of importance.

"Hi Coach. What's up?" he said when he reached the bar.

"Nathan. This is Phil Bryant. He's the head of a new marketing campaign for Adidas. We've been in talks for a few months about using a Lakers player to be the face of the new campaign." Said Barry.

"Hi Mr. Bryant. It's nice to meet you." Nathan said extending his hand.

"Please. Call me Phil." He said warmly. "Actually Nathan, I asked Barry to call you over here because I think you're the man for this campaign."

"Really?" asked an astonished Nathan.

"Look kid. Your game is at it's peak. The ladies want you. The guys want to be you. You'd be perfect. What do you think?" he asked

"It sounds great." Replied Nathan thinking of how much money this would bring in for his family. His contact already took care of everything his family wanted or needed, but Nathan knew he wouldn't be able to play professionally forever and didn't want to fall into the trap of having nothing to fall back on once he retired.

"Right. Well I will be in contact tomorrow so we can discuss the contract." Said Phil before leaving the other two men alone.

"I can't believe this is happening." Nathan said to Barry

"Yeah. Well, think about it carefully Nate. Don't jump into anything." Said Barry in a foreboding tone.

"How could this possibly be a bad idea?" asked Nathan not believing his friends attitude.

"Look. I don't want to get too involved in your business, but I see what's going on Nate. Do you really need something else taking time away from your family?" Barry asked before leaving Nathan to ponder his question.

After a few minutes, Nathan remembered that he was originally going to check Haley and decided to try to find her once again. Just as he was leaving the dining room, he saw Margie sitting back down at the table with another woman.

"Hi ladies. I'm sorry to interrupt, but Margie, do you know where Haley is?" He asked

"She left about twenty minutes ago. She called a cab to take her home."

"What? Why didn't she tell me?" he asked in a worried voice.

Margie studied him carefully for a moment before deciding to be honest with him.

"I hate to say it Nate. But she didn't really have any reason to think you'd care… or even notice for that matter." She said calmly, trying to make a point about how he has been treating her at these events lately.

"Oh" he said taken aback. It hit him then, exactly how badly he had been treating her. Nathan realized that if it hadn't been for his sudden realization or epiphany tonight, then he probably wouldn't have even noticed his wife's absence. Lost in his thoughts, Nathan didn't eventake note ofthe single tear that escaped down his cheek, until he felt Margie's hand brushing it away.

She looked at him kindly and said "Go home Nate. It's not too late to fix this. She loves you."

Without another word, Nathan left. He ran through the crown of people standing around talking, through the dance floor and out the doors. He took the stairs two at a time and ran as fast as he could across the car park to his car.

The whole way home,Nathan thought about the sadness in his wife's eyes lately, the many fights they had had, the kiss he and Haley had shared earlier that evening and the vision of her walking away from him. That picture scared him immensely. He was scared that if he didn't do something right for a change, the image of her walking away would be final.

When he reached their home, Nathan jumped out of the car, quickly unlocked the door and ran into the house. He was surprised to see Becca sitting on the couch watching a movie.

"Nathan? What are you doing here?" she asked surprised to see him

"Where's Haley?" he asked

"I thought she was with you. I mean, you left together earlier…" she said not knowing what was going on. Nathan just sank down onto the step that separated the foyer and living room.

"Nathan? Is everything ok?" asked Becca becoming worried about Haley

"Yeah. It's fine. Why don't you take off." He said standing up and taking out his wallet to pay her. After she gathered her bag and coat, he gaveBecca the money and let her out the front door.

He knew there was nothing he could do but wait for Haley to come home, so he just concentrated on not getting too worked up. Nathan made his way up the stairs to check on his son. He enteredLevi's room and found him sleeping peacefully in his cot. Nathan watched his son and felt the tears fall. He cried for Haley. He cried for Levi. He cried for himself. Nathan had wasted so much precious time working on his career, trying to make sure he could support his family… make sure he wasn't a failure. But in the process he had neglected them. He had managed to miss important events in his child's life like his first word and his first step. He had pushed his wife away from him, avoiding her and their fights rather than facing the issue and fixing it. He was tearing his family apart.

"I love you" he whispered to his son. "I promise I'm going to make things better. We'll all be happy again, I swear."

Nathan walked back downstairs and poured himself a drink. He hadn't had a single drop that night and needed to relax so he wouldn't go insane waiting for Haley to come home. He turned the lights off and sat down on the couch, leaving the television on mute. He needed to think about how he was going to make it up to Haley. He had to figure out what to do to prove to her that he was going to change.

* * *

Peyton finished putting Jenny to bed and went to check on Elizette before joining Jake and Luke in the living room. 

"Peyton. I'm really sorry about before. I was an ass." Luke said

"What are you doing Luke?" she asked seriously

"Um… What do you mean?" he asked, confused by her question. He looked to Jake for help, but he just shrugged before getting up and leaving them to talk.

"Brooke. I'm talking about your wife." She said in a fluster.

Lucas stiffened. He and Peyton hadn't had what he thought of as 'the big talk' about his and Brooke's break up. He knew that Peyton was aware of what happened, but he hadn't really discussed it with anyone except for Nathan and Jake.

"Don't you mean soon to be ex-wife?" he asked bitterly

"Yeah. That's exactly what I mean. When are you going to grow a pair and try to fix this before it's too late." Asked Peyton in an amazingly blunt manner

"I should have known you'd take her side. I thought you said you weren't going to get involved." He retorted.

"I didn't plan on it Luke because I thought you two would come to your senses, but obviously I overestimated you both." She said sarcastically

Luke was silent for a few minutes thinking about the conversation that he often thought of as 'the beginning of the end'of his marriage.

_Flashback_

"_You're pregnant?" asked Luke unable to hide the fear in his voice_

_Brooke just nodded her head unable to speak at that moment._

"_Ok. It's ok. We'll work it out. Everything will be ok." He said rambling to himself as he paced their bedroom. But on the inside he was scared shitless. _

_Neither of them had wanted to have children until they had finished school and established their careers. They were only in their sophomore year of college and they had big career dreams for the future. Lucas was going to be a sports agent and eventually open up his own firm, while Brooke was going to take Clothes over Bro's to the world._

"_We'll be able to manage. I'll keep up my studies and get a job as well. You'll be able to work during the pregnancy too. When I graduate in two years, I will be on a great salary and we won't have to worry about money at all." He said starting to feel a little better about the news._

_He noticed that Brooke had not moved or made a sound since her confession. He sat on the bed next to her and lifted chin so she was looking at him. He saw the tears in her eyes, but couldn't read her expression._

"_I don't want to keep it" she said so softly that Lucas could barely hear her_

"_What?" he asked, surprised by her admission_

"_I can't have a baby right now Lucas. I'm not ready." She said louder this time_

"_I know it will be scary, but like I said, we'll manage. I'll be able to support us babe." He pleaded, not even wanting to consider the option of her having an abortion. If his mother had chosen that same option he wouldn't be sitting there right now._

"_I heard you Luke. But all I heard was how you were going to finish school and get the job you've always wanted. What about me? What about my dreams?" she asked angrily._

_Luke just stood back looking at her like she had slapped him across the face. He couldn't believe how selfish she was being. How could she talk about their child like it was just an inconvenience?_

"_Here's an idea Luke. How about I have the baby, then you can be a stay at home dad, while I finish college and get my dream job. Sound good to you?" she yelled sarcastically_

"_Why are you being like this? This is our child you're talking about." He yelled back_

_Brooke looked away from him. She did feel guilty that she was putting her needs ahead of having this child, but she couldn't help the way she felt. She walked over to her husband and put her hand on his arm, trying to calm him down._

_He spun around. "Don't touch me!" he spat_

_Brooke flinched at his tone and took a step back._

"_I'm warning you Brooke. If you have an abortion, we're through." He said through gritted teeth before leaving the room and slamming the door behind him._

_End of Flashback_

"I'm not going to lie to you Pey. I still love her. I'll always love her, but I guess the truth is that my love for her doesn't outweigh my anger about what she did." He said dejectedly

"It was hard on her too Luke." She said knowing that she heading into dangerous territory

"Somehow I doubt it. She never once showedan ounce of remorse for her decision. And that's why I can't forgive her." Said Lucas as he stood up from the couch and headed for the door.

"She regrets it Luke. More than you'll ever know" cried Peyton, knowing that she was betraying Brooke's confidence.

Luke turned to her showing that he was willing to listen if she could elaborate on her previous claim.

"I can't get into the details Luke, but she regrets it. Something happened to her that day. She needed to be able to turn to her husband for support, but well… we all know that didn't happen. I'm not trying to lay a guilt trip on you Lucas, but she tried to talk to you and you pushed her away when she needed you the most. Why do you think she gave up on your marriage?" She said with tears in her eyes

"What happened Peyton?" he asked, fearing the answer.

"Only Brooke can tell you. You need to go to her Luke."


	45. It's Too Late

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or any of it characters**

Haley had decided that she didn't want to go straight home after the horrid night she'd had. Instead she asked the cab driver to take her to the beach. There was a beautiful spot along the waterfront that was always busy this time of night. People would walk around and eat hotdogs or ice cream and listen to the buskers that played at the end of the pier. She didn't want to be completely alone right then, she felt too alone in her life as it was.

After a couple of hours when a chill had entered the air, Haley decided to call another cab to take her home. She was surprised to find the door unlocked because Becca was always very good at ensuring she locked the door at all times. Stepping inside she noted that all of the lights were off and saw a figure on the couch illuminated by the television. As she got closer, Haley realised that it was her husband and not Becca as she had expected.

Haley stood silently watching him sleep. What was he doing there? He never came home this early, and he was supposed to be hitting the clubs with his mates. Suddenly she was gripped with fear. What if something had happened to Levi? She quickly ran upstairs to her son's room where she found him safe and sound. Haley was relieved but still confused as to why Nathan was asleep downstairs still in his suit. She headed downstairs to wake him.

"Nathan" she said softly while nudging his arm gently

He bolted upright upon hearing her voice and pulled her down to him in an embrace.

"Hales. I was so worried about you." He whispered into her hair.

Haley couldn't even answer. She was so surprised by his actions as well as enjoying being held in his arms after such a long time. But most of all she was thinking how wonderful it was to hear him say her nickname with such tenderness.

"I'm fine. I just went down to the pier for a while to think. I'm sorry if I worried you." She said after a few moments, still enjoying his warmth.

Nathan didn't say anything, he just wanted to enjoy the feeling of having her in his arms. He wanted to stay like that forever.

"I'm sorry about earlier Nathan. I totally overreacted. I shouldn't let Kendra get to me." She said still feeling embarrassed about being insulted in front of him

"Hales. You don't have to apologise for anything. I'm the one who owes the apology." He said pulling away to look into her eyes.

"Ok. What for?" she asked, having no clue as to what he was going to say next.

"I'm sorry for everything Hales. I let my career take over our lives. I've neglected my family. And when you've called me on it, I've been in denial and fought you all the way. And then when we started fighting, I would just avoid you and spend more time away rather than admit there was really a problem I needed to fix. I'm so sorry baby. Please forgive me. I swear I'm going to make it up to you." He said planting a loving kiss on her lips.

Haley was more than stunned. For the past couple of months they had fought about all of this and he had acted like it was all in her head or she wasn't supporting him enough. Now he was taking it all back and vowing to fix it. What had happened to in the past few hours? How had Nathan gone from yelling at her to get ready, to crying and begging for forgiveness?

"Please let me prove to you that I can change. I swear my career takes a back seat from now on. You and Levi are the most important parts of my life. Please Hales. I can't bear to see you so unhappy. I don't want to lose you." He pleaded again after she had still not said anything for a few minutes.

"That's all I've wanted to hear from you for months." Said Haley sobbing. "Do you really mean it Nate?"

"Yes. I swear Hales. I'm willing to do anything to get us back to where we were. I love you so much." He choked out. "Do you still love me? Can you give me another chance? "

"Yes. Of course I love you. Always and Forever." She said before placing a gentle kiss on his lips. He returned the kiss and soon his tongue entered her mouth, eliciting a moan.

Haley pushed him back so that he was sitting against the back of the couch. Never breaking their kiss, she slid her hands under his dinner jacket and pushed it off his shoulder, and he slipped his arms out of the sleaves.

Haley stood up and quickly removed her high heels, hiked up her dress so that she could straddle his lap, resuming their kiss. Nathan's hands began to wander, wanting to reacquaint himself with every inch of her skin. He found her zipper and pulled it all the way down her back before sliding the straps of her dress down her arms.

Haley disentangled her arms from the straps and begun to unbutton his shirt while he kissed her breasts, taking a nipple in his mouth and sucking gently. Haley threw her head back as Nathan finished taking off his shirt. She lifted his mouth to hers again for a searing kiss, pressing their naked chests together. She shifted back slightly so that she could move down to place kisses on his chest. The perfectly sculpted chest that she has loved so much since high school. Nathan was enjoying the sensation of Haley's tongue flicking against his nipple, before she pulled away and stood up once again.

He watched as she slowly pushed her dress down her body, stepping out of it before removing her black lace thong also. Nathan soon followed her lead, unbuckling his belt and unzipping the fly of his pants. Haley lent forward and took grip of his pant and boxer shorts as Nathan lifted his hips allowing her to pull them down his legs. Once completely removed, Haley resumed her position on her husband's lap.

Both sat there looking into each others eyes, giving their silent apologies for the events of the past couple of months. And both giving forgiveness for the hurt caused. Haley started to gently rock her hips, causing a blissful friction between their bodies. Nathan was getting harder by the second as her movements caused her wet centre to glide over his large erection, showing him just how ready she was for him.

She lifted herself up slightly and took him into her hands, placing him at her entrance, but paused to look at him again. Nathan, surprised by the sudden pause, looked into her eyes and could see the question that she was silently asking him.

"There hasn't been anyone else Haley. There's no one else for me… ever." he confirmed resolutely.

Relief flowed through her as her fears were quelled by his statement and the sincerity she saw in his eyes. He had been faithful to her. She lowered herself onto him and they made love, slowly and sweetly.

* * *

Lucas made his way slowly to his old apartment where Brooke now lived by herself. It had been four long months since he moved out. Four months of loving her, hating her and missing her. He knocked on the door hesitantly, not knowing if she would even let him in.

Brooke heard a knock on the door just as she was getting ready to go to bed. She was going to ignore it, until the door bell rang and she realised that whoever it was probably wasn't going to leave. She made her way over and opened the door, gasping when she saw him.

"Luke? What are you doing here?' she asked

"We need to talk." He said nervously as he shuffled his feet and kept his hands stuffed in his pockets.

"You haven't spoken to me in four months. You've made it pretty clear how you feel about me, so what could we possibly have to talk about Luke?" She said dejectedly

Luke didn't know how to explain that he needed to know what happened the day she got the abortion. "I just spoke to Peyton about… what happened that day. She wouldn't tell me everything, but said I should talk to you."

Brooke's jaw dropped and her eyes widened. She couldn't believe that Peyton had betrayed her confidence. But she always knew they might have to have this conversation one day, so just sighed and let him in where he took a seat on the couch.

"So. You want a drink?" she asked nervously, not knowing how to handle the situation

"No thanks. Can you please just come and sit down so we can talk?" he pleaded, not wanting to push her.

She sat down next to him and had to stop herself from taking his hand in hers. She missed him so much, but he had broken her heart more than once and she would never let him do it again. She would however be honest with him about what he wanted to know. She owed him that.

"Ok. So what did Peyton tell you?" she asked not knowing how much he knew

"She just said that you regretted the abortion. And that something happened to you that day. I can only assume it was bad because Peyton said you really needed… needed my support." He said feeling a little guilty

Brooke felt herself start to cry as she thought about it. That day changed her life. Her future.

"Well, as you know I went to a clinic and had the abortion." She said quietly, through tears. She found it hard to continue and remained silent for several minutes.

"Is it true? Do you regret it?" asked Luke.

He just didn't see how she could have regretted it, when she never once admitted it to him. Granted, he hadn't given her much of a chance to. After Brooke told him that she was definitely going through with the abortion, he said that he couldn't stay with her and moved out of the apartment. About a week later, Peyton had rung him saying he needed to talk to Brooke and try to work things out. He had been miserable the whole week and decided he wanted to try and forgive her.

So he went to their apartment and they discussed the situation. Within minutes it turned into a huge fight. Lucas told her that she was selfish and cruel and that the worst thing was that she didn't feel any remorse or regret over her actions. Brooke screamed at him for judging her, when he couldn't even begin to understand what she had been through. She ran into the bedroom crying. About half an hour later Lucas went in to apologise to her. He really did love her and wanted to try to make it work. But unfortunately, it didn't help because that was their final conversation where Brooke told him that she couldn't do it anymore. He had tried to stop her from leaving, by kissing her, but she knew from his kiss that he wasn't able to forgive her. So she walked away from him and their marriage… for good.

"More than you'll ever know Luke." She whispered. "When I woke up after the procedure I cried. I felt so empty, like I'd lost a part of myself, and I knew straight away that I'd made a mistake. I wanted so badly to turn back time and have my baby back… our baby."

Luke could tell that she was telling the truth. He wished he had have stayed and been there for her. He hadn't realised she had been hurting just as much as he was, if not more.

"That's not all though, is it?' he asked cautiously

Brooke shook her head before looking at him sorrowfully. "I was in so much pain and then the nurse told me and Peyton that there had been a complication." She sobbed uncontrollably now.

Luke couldn't help himself. He shifted closer and took her trembling body in his arms.

"I can't have any more kids Luke. I'm never going to be a mom." She cried

Luke just held her tighter and comfortingly stroked her hair. She was so broken and he just wanted to protect her.

"It's all my fault. I guess karma really is a bitch huh?" she spat out hatefully. It was killing him to see his wife like this. Long gone was the carefree, happy and confident Brooke he fell in love with in high school. She was now completely broken, fragile and full of self-loathing. He couldn't stand to see her this way. He had no idea that she had changed so much since they separated. Well, how could he? He had made sure that he didn't have any contact with her and made it pretty clear he didn't want their friends to discuss her in front of him. He had abandoned her when she needed him most.

"Please don't say that baby." He said crying into her hair. "I'm so sorry. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you. I love you Brooke."

Brooke immediately flinched and pulled away from him, getting to her feet.

"I think you need to go." She said her voice and expression void of emotion.

Lucas stood up and moved to her. "Please Brooke. I know we've hurt each other pretty badly, but I love you and I want to try again." He pleaded

"It's too late Luke. Please just leave." She sighed before walking to her room and shutting the door.

Luke stared after her, wanting to follow, but knowing it wouldn't do any good. He left her apartment, and wondered if they'd ever find their way back to each other.


	46. It's For Our Future

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or any of its characters**

It was a quiet afternoon in the Saywer / Jagielski residence. Jake and Peyton were preparing dinner while Jenny and Elizette took their afternoon naps.

Jake stopped chopping the vegetables for the soup he was making and watched Peyton carefully. She had barely uttered a word since he got home from work and had no idea what was bothering her.

"So… You've been awfully quiet tonight" he said

"Have I? Sorry." She said distractedly, not realizing she was so lost in her thoughts

"It's ok. What's on your mind?" he asked sincerely

Peyton turned around from the stove and took a seat across the bench from Jake. "Brooke. And Luke." She sighed

"Really? Why?" he asked quite surprised. Jake hadn't really seen much of either of their friends in the past two weeks, since that uncomfortable meeting in the nursery.

"Well they kind of had a talk about everything that happened and it didn't end too well." She said gloomily

Jake didn't say anything. He knew that she would continue when she found the words. Although he was very surprised to find out that Brooke and Lucas had spoken, especially after four months of no contact. Peyton could see that Jake was waiting for her to continue.

"You see, I kind of told Luke that he didn't know the full story, so he decided to talk to Brooke about it." She said sheepishly, knowing she probably shouldn't have interfered.

"What do you mean he didn't know the whole story?" he asked, realizing that he obviously didn't know either.

"Well Luke is holding onto all that anger and resentment, thinking that Brooke had no feelings about the abortion whatsoever. But she really regretted it Jake." Said Peyton as tears began to fall. "I was with her when she woke up afterwards and she was so sad, so heartbroken. She just kept saying over and over that she wanted her baby back."

Jake could see from Peyton's reaction to the memory that it must have been a very emotional event. He didn't agree with Brooke having the abortion, but he also thought that Lucas was too harsh on his wife and should have stood by her. The way that Lucas spoke about it all, he assumed that Brooke was pretty much unfazed by the whole thing. Obviously Lucas had been wrong.

"That's not even the worst of it. There were complications." She sobbed

"What kind of complications?" asked Jake fearing the he already knew the answer.

"I don't know the specifics, all I know is that Brooke won't be able to have children." She cried, her heart breaking for her friend.

Jake went to her and pulled her close knowing she needed comfort. Peyton was a sensitive soul who always felt things very deeply.

"I feel so guilty Jake. I have two amazing daughters who I love more than life itself. I feel like I'm kind of rubbing her nose in it. She sees me with them almost every day and I know deep down in hurts her."

"Peyt. You have nothing to feel guilty about. Brooke loves out girls and she loves spending time with them. I'm sure it does hurt her, but she loves them and would never give up a chance at spending time with them." He said firmly

"I know." She sighed into his chest.

"I feel like we are always focusing so much on our friends and being there for them, that sometimes we forget to be happy for ourselves." He said

Peyton looked up into his face, questioning his meaning.

"We've been so preoccupied with Brooke and Lucas' separation and whatever the hell is going on with Nathan and Haley in LA, that we haven't even had time for ourselves." He sighed in frustration.

"That's not true. We spend nearly all of our time together. We've got a new daughter that takes up a lot of our time too. I would hardly say our lives revolve around our friends and their problems." She said not understanding what he was trying to get across to her.

"I know Peyt. But can you honestly remember the last time we talked about getting married? I always knew we wouldn't jump straight into it like Nathan and Haley or even Brooke and Lucas did, but it's been a year since we got engaged and we haven't even set a date yet, let alone thought about what kind of wedding we want."

Peyton thought about what he'd said and realized he was absolutely right. They had spent so much time worrying about everyone else that they had put their wedding plans on the backburner.

"You're right babe." She said with a slight smile.

"So maybe we can sit down tonight and work out some details?" he asked hopefully. It's not that he was crazy about weddings, he would prefer something very simple, but he was crazy about Peyton and wanted her to be his wife.

"Actually, I have a better idea." She said smirking

"Oh yeah. What's that?" he asked

"Let's elope." She said grinning

Jake studied her face carefully. "You're serious?" he asked

"It's like you said, there's always some drama going on around here. With our luck we'll have to postpone the wedding or change plans to accommodate everyone else. Besides, can you imagine how horrible it will be with Brooke and Lucas in the wedding party. It would be a disaster waiting to happen." She said seriously

"Are you sure you don't want the big fancy wedding with all your friends and family? You're only going to get married once you know." He said with a possessive smirk

Peyton laughed. "Do I seem like the kind of girl who's into big and fancy?" she questioned

"Point taken" he chuckled.

"As far as I'm concerned, all I need at my wedding is you and me." She said before kissing him softly.

* * *

Haley lay on the couch under a blanket, contentedly thinking about what a wonderful day she had with Nathan and Levi. The past two weeks had been filled with so much laughter and happiness. Nathan had really come through, cutting back on work and social activities to spend more time with his family. He had surprised Haley today by taking them to the zoo.

_Flashback_

"_Can you say elephant?" Nathan lovingly asked Levi who sat on his shoulders enthralled with the giant creatures that were currently bathing themselves. Each time they snorted water out of their trunks he would giggle with delight._

"_Eflint" said Levi trying to emulate his father's word. _

"_Almost buddy. You're getting there." Laughed Nathan amused at his son's pronunciation._

"_Give him a break Nate. He's one and half years old." Haley joked._

"_Well you are his mother, 'Tutor girl'. He's going to be pretty damn smart." He teased, using Brooke's nickname for her._

"_Maybe, but you're forgetting he's stuck with your genes too." She said jokingly, moving away before he could get revenge for her last comment._

_Nathan lifted Levi off his shoulders and sat him on his hip. "You're mommy's a smarty pants Levi. But we love her anyway." Nathan said as Haley moved back towards him and snaked her arm around his waist._

_End of Flashback_

She heard Nathan's footsteps as he made his way down the stairs after putting Levi to bed.

"I think we wore him out." Nathan joked as he sat beside his wife, pulling the blanket over them both.

"Yeah. It was a big day for him." She said as she wrapped an arm around his waist and lay her head on his shoulder. Nathan pulled her tighter and kissed her forehead softly.

"Thank you" she whispered.

"What for?" he asked

"For keeping your promise. The last two weeks have been so great. Just like old times." She said snuggling further into the crook of his neck.

"It has been pretty great, hasn't it?" he smiled into her hair

After a few moments of comfortable silence Haley spoke up.

"So. The season's almost over. What are you going to do with all that free time?" she asked

Nathan stiffened slightly. He was feeling extremely guilty that he hadn't mentioned the Adidas campaign to her. He still hadn't decided if he wanted to accept the offer or not. He was tempted because the money was great and would set them up for years to come, but if he did sign on, his off season woiuld be filled with photo shoots, publicity events and even international travel. It would mean spending a fair chunk of his time off, away from his family. That is something he really didn't want to do, but it was pretty hard to pass up such a wonderful opportunity.

Nathan still hadn't responded, so Haley asked. "What if we spend our time between here and Chapel Hill? I miss our friends so much. It's really hard being so far away from them." She said pleadingly, hoping he would agree with her.

He thought about her suggestion and realized it could be the answer to his problem. He could spend his free time Haley and Levi, and when he had to travel or attend functions, she would be with her friends and wouldn't be stuck home alone.

"Sounds good babe. Actually there is something I need to talk to you about." He said a little hesitantly.

"Yeah?" she asked snuggling into his shirt, happy that she would be going back to North Carolina soon.

"Well, how do you feel about your husband being a red hot sexy model?" he asked with a smirk, trying to hide his nerves.

Haley had no idea what he was talking about. She ran her hand under his shirt and began to draw circles on his stomach. "I already think you're sexy, but what is this about you being a model?" she asked looking up at him with a warm smile.

"Adidas have approached me. They want me to be the face of their new ad campaign." He said a little more confidently

Haley's hand immediate stopped it's movements against his skin and within seconds she had removed it from his shirt completely. She didn't say anything, just sat silently still, staring at the floor.

"It's a great opportunity Hales. The contract is worth a few million dollars." He said trying to thaw the ice he could sense coming over her mood.

Haley sat back from her husband and turned so that she was facing him. She stared directly into his eyes before emitting a bitter laugh.

"Oh well, then you better do it. God knows how much we need the money" she said sarcastically

Nathan took her hands in his. "Hales. This is for our future."

She looked at him sadly. "How long Nathan? How long do you think it will be until everything goes back to the way it was before?" She asked referring to their troubled marriage.

"It doesn't have to be like that. Most of the work will be done this summer during the off season. And well, I thought while I was working you could stay in Chapel Hill and spend time with everyone there. That way you won't be alone." He said

"I want my husband Nate. I suggested we go there so that we could spend time together with our friends, not so you could relieve your conscience about dumping me and your son for the summer." She said, frustrated that her husband was willing to risk their relationship again.

"Baby. Please don't be like that. I meant what I said. I do want to spend more time with you. It's just that my career is so uncertain. I could injure myself at any time and I don't have anything to fall back on. This campaign can set us up so that we don't have to ever worry about our finances." He said leading with her to see his point of view.

Haley knew where he was coming from, but still thought spending time as a family was more important that planning for a problem in the future that may never happen. She knew she was being a little unreasonable, but it all came from fear.

"What happened to you Nathan? What happened to the guy who left behind all of his family's money to make himself happy? And you were happy Nate, we both were." She said softly

Nathan pulled her back to him before cupping her face and kissing her softly. "Look. I'm not going to sign unless I'm sure the work doesn't interfere with our summer plans, so how about we stop arguing about this and enjoy the rest of the night?" he asked

"Ok." She replied forcing a tight smile.

She settled herself back in his arms and tried to focus on the movie they were supposed to be watching. But she couldn't shake the feeling of foreboding that was swirling around her stomach, giving her chills. Haley knew deep down that Nathan really wanted to sign the contract. His need to provide for his family was so great that it was blinding him to the fact that they needed his presence more than his wealth.


	47. North Carolina, Here We Come!

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or any of its characters.**

"Haley! Where are you?" Nathan called coming down the stairs with Levi in his arms.

"In the kitchen" she yelled as she cleared out the last of the contents from their refrigerator.

Haley turned around to find Nathan entering the kitchen slouched over. Her brow furrowed with concern until she realized that he was only crouching down because Levi was using one ofhis fingers to hold on to as he walked beside him. She smiled at the adorable sight before her.

"Mommy" called Levi happily. He let go of his father's hand and began to make his way to Haley. She squatted down, opening her arms for him to step into.

"Hi Baby" she said picking him up and lifting him into the air, placing a noisy raspberry kiss on his pudgy little stomach. After lowering him into her arms, Haley placed little butterfly kisses all over his face causing him to giggle incessantly. Finally stopping, she hugged her son tightly to her chest enjoying the delightful smell of his hair.

Nathan watched the interaction between his wife and son and couldn't help think about how lucky he was to have such a beautiful family. He leant against the wall happy to just watch them. Haley noticed Nathan standing therelooking onquietly.

"What are you smiling about?" she asked placing Levi on her hip

"I'm just happy" he replied honestly

Haley smiled and walked over to Nathan kissing him softly. "Me too". She said. "So. I've just finished emptying the fridge and the suitcases are packed…"

"Uh huh" he said distractedly, staring at her lips and wishing desperately that Becca was around to keep Levi occupied for a while.

"Which means that you can take all the luggage out to the car after you've taken out the trash." She said with a smirk

"What do I look like? Your personal slave?" he asked trying to hidea grin.

"Ok. No dirty talk in front of our child!" she joked. "We can get to that later." She replied pinching him on the ass.

"God. Get your mind out of the gutter Hales. You've always been a bad influence on me."

"Whatever! And in answer to your 'personal slave' question, You'll be anything I tell you to be, if you know what's good for you." She said with a smirk before skipping away with Levi still in her arms and singing out "North Carolina here we come!"

* * *

Peyton was over at Brookes apartment and they had just sat down for coffee at the kitchen table. They hadn't seen a lot of each other over the past month or so and decided a girly chat was in order.

"So best friend. What's new in your world?" asked Peyton cheerfully

"Actually, now that you ask, I'm going on a date Friday night with this really hot guy from my business class." She replied

"You've got a date?" asked Peyton incredulously

"That's what I said, isn't?" retorted Brooke, slightly annoyed by her friend's reaction.

"What kind of a date?" she asked suspiciously.

"Umm. The kind where I go to a restaurant and he goes to the same restaurant and we meet there, get a little food, maybe have a little conversation and some dancing. You have been on a date before, right?" asked Brooke sarcastically.

"Sorry. Sorry. I didn't mean to sound unsupportive, I just guess I haven't gotten over hoping that you and Luke would work things out." Said Payton honestly

"Well it's not going to happen, so get over it." Snapped Brooke, immediately regretting it. "Besides, Luke doesn't have a problem with this date, so neither should you." She said more softly.

"Woah. You've told Luke about this?" asked Peyton clearly shocked.

"Yeah." Brooke shrugged her shoulders in indifference.

"Wow. So you guys are really doing the whole friends thing? I must admit, I didn't think it would work."

"Well thanks for the vote of confidence P.Sawyer." joked Brooke, notnoticing Peyton flinch slightly. "Luke and I have been friends before. Sure we still have feelings for each other, we probably always will, but it doesn't mean we're meant to be together forever. I'm really happy being just friends." She said confidently

"I'm glad you forboth of you then.It was horrible when you weren't talking to each other. I couldn't stand it." She said truthfully.

"I guess that's why you felt the need to but your little nose in right?" asked Brooke in mock annoyance. Peyton looked alarmed, worried that she was angry with her for talking Luke into going to see her that night. Brooke could see that her friend was a little uncomfortable so she continued "Look, Peyt. I was a little pissed off that you meddled in my business, but I'm glad you convinced Luke to talk to me. I'll admit, our first conversation didn't go too well, but I told him the truth about everything and since then we've been able to re-build a friendship. So thank you."

Peyton stood up and walked around to her best friend, enveloping her in a big hug. She hadn't seen Brooke this upbeat in months, and she loved having a part of the old Brooke back.

"Enough, already P. Sawyer. It's not like you to be this cheesy!" squealed Brooke who was being suffocated by her friend's bear hug.

Peyton couldn't hold it in anymore. She had been keeping this secret for weeks now and felt that it was time to let it out.

"Yeah. About that whole P. Sawyer thing, Brooke. I'd prefer it if you didn't call me that anymore." Said Peyton trying to keep a straight face.

"What! I've called you that for years, now all of a sudden you don't like your nickname anymore?" exclaimed Brooke who was totally perplexed.

"I just don't think it works for me anymore. Maybe you should call me P. Jagielski." She said with a grin

Brooke's jaw dropped and she couldn't speak for a whole minute. She quickly grabbed Peyton's left hand and saw the wedding band on her ring finger.

"Oh. No. You. Didn't!" she squealed. "You and Jake got married!" she screamed jumping up and hugging Peyton, making her jump along with her. All of a sudden Brooke stood back and glared at her friend jokingly

"I can't believe I wasn't at your wedding, P. Sawy… Jagielski! You so owe me for this."

"I know. I'm sorry, it's just that things have been so crazy with everyone lately, that we decided not to wait any longer."

"Ok. You're forgiven. Now I want details." Ordered Brooke who was now making them another cup of coffee.

"Well, you remember that weekend you stayed at our place to look after Jenny and Elizette?" asked Peyton.

_Flashback_

"_Thank you so much for staying over to watch the girls this weekend, Brooke." Said Peyton as she picked up the her suitcase._

"_Yeah. We really appreciate it. We need some time to ourselves." Added Jake before they closed the door._

_Peyton and Jake had decided to do the whole Las Vegas chapel wedding. They flew to Las Vegas and stayed in an expensive hotel for two nights. On the first night, they had dinner before going their separate ways to buy a wedding dress and a suit. Jake had already called ahead and booked a Chapel for 9pm that night. They agreed to make their way to the chapel separately and get ready, not seeing each other until the ceremony._

_Jake stood in a traditional black suit at the front of the tiny chapel. It was decorated in deep burgundy and gold colours and was surprisingly beautiful. Not at all cheesy or tacky like he had expected. His grin was wide as he waited for the music to start and his bride to walk down the isle. He had no doubt in his mind that he was doing the right thing. There were no cold feet or butterflies, just anticipation and excitement._

_The wedding march began and he watched as Peyton walked towards him. She looked absolutely beautiful in a deep purple coloured evening gown. It was strapless and tight around her waist before flowing softly to the floor. Her hair was in messy ringlets, framing her face perfectly with only light make up on her skin. She wore plain white gold earrings and a necklace to match her engagement ring._

_Upon reaching Jake, she took his outstretched hand and faced the minister, each stealing glances at each other through out the ceremony. They recited the traditional vows, both deciding that their eloping to get married was unconventional enough. They smiled at each other lovingly, placing the wedding bands on each other's fingers._

"_You may now kiss your bride" said the minister_

_Jake cupped his wife's face in his hands and kissed her passionately, not caring that there were about three strangers in the room. For the newlyweds, it was only them that existed in that perfect moment._

_The rest of the weekend was spent locked away in their hotel room._

_End of Flashback_

"Wow. That sounds so romantic. Just the two of you, throwing caution to the wind and doing it all your way." Said Brooke wistfully.

"It was amazing Brooke. Jake was worried I would regret not having a proper wedding, but I don't. It was perfect."

"You've got it all now Peyton. The perfect husband. The beautiful children. You have a perfect little family. You must be so happy." Brooke said trying not to let her friend see how sad she was that she had lost the husband, and would never have the children.

"Yeah. I never knew I could be so happy." Sighed Peyton, before noticing her friend was on the verge of tears.

"Oh God Brooke. I'm so sorry. I didn't even think how hard this would be on you." She said taking her friend's hand. They sat in silence while Brooke cried silently.

Finally after about five minutes of complete silence Brooke choked out "I'm still in love with him."

Peyton rubbed her hand soothingly. "I know."

"I don't know what to do Peyton." She sobbed

"You need to tell him. I know he feels the same way." Peyton said moving to a seat next to Brooke.

"It's not that simple." Brooke said slightly frustrated

"Of course it's not, but you can be together again." Peyton reasoned

"I can't do that to him."

"What are you talking about Brooke?"

"He wants a family some day Peyton. I can't give that to him. He deserves to be with someone who can give him what he wants."

"Oh Brooke. Please just talk to him about this."

"No. It's over. And I don't want you to tell him about any of this." She said seriously. Peyton sighed, not wanting to promise her anything. She knew that Luke would want to know. "I'm serious Peyton. I won't be able to trust you again if you tell him."

"Ok. I promise" she agreed reluctantly.


	48. Home Again

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or any of its characters.**

_**Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who has been reviewing. I appreciate your comments and ideas. I have been able to update daily, but I still can't guarantee that will continue... I'm trying. Anyway, please keep reviewing. It's always a good motivator.**_

Nathan, Haley and Levi had just arrived at Lucas' apartment. They would spend their first month living with Lucas because Taylor and Jason had Jason's family staying at the house during that time. After a month they would stay in their old home for the last two months of their summer break. They really didn't mind because Nathan was looking forward to spending some time with his brother, and Haley with her best friend. Lucas too, was thrilled with the arrangement. He had missed them so much and felt it was a chance to spend some time with his nephew.

Lucas knew deep down that the company would be good for him. He often felt lonely in his three bedroom apartment by himself and he tended to spend a lot of his time moping about pining for Brooke. Of course, he would never let Brooke know that. She had made it clear that they were to be just friends, and he knew if he pushed it any further, or let her know he wanted more, that she would cut him off altogether. No. He would just have to be happy with their current arrangement and hope that somehow he could win her back.

"Are you sure you guys aren't planning to move in permanently?" joked Lucas after bringing in the last of the many pieces of luggage from the car.

"Hey! I'm here for three months. I had to bring nearly everything I own." Defended Haley while smacking Lucas on the arm playfully.

Nathan chuckled at the interaction. Even after all this time apart, his wife and his brother were still the same, and he knew they always would be. It comforted him to know that some things never change. He noticed that Luke was now looking at him accusingly.

"I only brought a couple of bags. Blame Hales." He said, earning a glare from his wife.

Lucas noticed that Levi was nowhere to be seen, and realised that Haley must have put him to bed while he and Nathan unpacked the car. "So, I guess I won't be able to see my nephew until the morning" he said a little disappointed. "Oh, well. I've already waited a few months, what's one more night, right?" He said more to himself than anyone else

"You won't believe how much he's grown, Luke. And you can be on Levi duty all day tomorrow if you like." Haley said seeing a smile on his face.

She gave him a quick hug before walking to Nathan and doing the same. He held her tight and kissed her forehead. Haley was slightly worn out from their long road trip, and keeping a toddler occupied for hours on end, so she pulled out of his embrace and stated "I hope you guys don't mind, but I'm really tired. I'm gonna go to bed."

Lucas gave her another quick hug and kissed her cheek. "No problem Hales. I'll just grab a few extra blankets for you from my room." He said before leaving the couple alone.

She turned back to Nathan and kissed him softly on the lips. "You should stay up and catch up with Luke for a while." She said as he pulled her closer again.

"Yeah. We haven't really spoken much in the last few months." He said rubbing circles on the skin above her jeans. "But I've wanted some alone time with you since this morning" he purred into her ear.

Haley smiled, knowing she had been wanting the same thing all day too. "I never said you couldn't wake me up when you come to bed." She said huskily.

Nathan moved a few feet to the couch, pulling her with him until she was sitting on his lap and kissed her passionately. Within seconds the couple had forgotten their surroundings and were lost in each other completely, but were soon brought back to reality by a loud forced cough.

They both looked up to see an amused Lucas smirking at them. "God. You guys haven't changed a bit since high school." He joked "You're still a couple of horny teenagers!"

Haley blushed, before placing one last kiss on Nathan's lips and making her way to their room.

* * *

Peyton lay in bed listening to her husband's breathing. She had been trying to sleep for almost an hour now, but couldn't stop thinking about her conversation with Brooke earlier that day. She had promised not to interfere or tell Luke about her true feelings and fears, but Peyton also knew she couldn't stand by and watch two people she loved, be so unhappy.

She felt Jake's arm wrap around her waist from behind. "What's wrong babe?" he asked sleepily

"Nothing. Just go back to sleep." She said rubbing his hand.

"I can't. Not when I know there's something that's obviously bothering you. Has it got something to do with Brooke or Lucas?" he asked knowingly.

Peyton rolled over to face him. She placed a hand on his cheek and kissed him softly. "How'd you get to know me so well?" she asked with a smile.

Jake just shrugged and kissed her. "Now are you going to tell me what's going on?" he asked

"Brooke told me today that she's still in love with Lucas." She said quietly, feeling guilty for talking about their conversation. But hey, it's not like she was telling Lucas.

"Yeah. Well we knew that. At least she's finally admitting to it." He replied. "Did she say anything else?" he asked knowing there must be more to the story.

"The reason she won't tell him and give them another chance is because she thinks that Lucas deserves better. She thinks that he should be with someone who can have children with him." She sighed

"Oh." He said softly. Jake knew that Lucas didn't care about that and just wanted his wife back. In one conversation Jake had had with him, Lucas had gone so far as to talk about how he and Brooke could always adopt children later on if they wanted to.

"Yeah. It's stupid, and we know Lucas doesn't feel that way, but it's how she feels and there's nothing I can do." Exclaimed Peyton feeling hopeless.

"You could tell Lucas." Said Jake simply

Peyton raised her eyebrows and said "Excuse me?"

"You could tell Lucas what's going on with Brooke." He said

"Who are you and what have you done with my husband?" she joked.

"What are you talking about?" he chuckled

"Well, the Jake I fell in love with and married, is always telling me to keep my nose out of other people's business and to let them sort their own problems out." She said seriously

Jake pulled himself up a little and rested on his elbow. "I know. But I think that this is one of those situations where neither of them will know what the other is thinking unless we say something. We know that they love each other and are hurting being apart, so trying to get them together is a good thing."

Peyton smiled thinking about how wise and thoughtful Jake could be. He was definitely the most reserved out the group of friends, but no one could deny that he always had a pretty good grasp of what was going on.

"You never cease to surprise me Mr. Jagielski." She said before kissing him feverishly. Jake responded and pretty soon they were removing their night clothes, before they heard their baby screaming from the next room.

"Uhhg." Cried Jake before looking at Peyton and saying "You're daughter wants you." He was failing to keep a straight face, knowing his wife would be annoyed by his caveman attitude that women had to tend to the children.

"Then again, sometimes you're so predictable" laughed Peyton as she playfully hit the back of his head before putting on her robe and going in to see why Elizette was crying. She picked her up and within seconds, her daughter started to settle.

After a few minutes of rocking her baby to sleep, Peyton felt Jake's arms wrap around her waist and his breath against her neck.

"We're so lucky Peyt." He whispered.

"I know." She responded, leaning back into him.

* * *

Lucas handed Nathan a beer and took a seat next to him on the couch.

"So, you guys seem to be doing better. You really scared me when you called a while back." Lucas said facing his brother.

Nathan let out a long breath. "Don't remind me, man. It got pretty bad there for a while. I was pretty freaked that night." He said referring to the night of his and Haley's reconciliation after the disaster that was the charity fundraiser and Nathan had come home to find Haley missing. "Thanks for listening to me that night, Luke. Thanks for not going off on me too."

"That's what brother's are for right?" he said slapping Nate's back. "So what happened to get you guys back the an annoyingly happy couple that you are? Surely some grovelling was involved" he said with a smirk, knowing how proud Nathan could be.

"Not really, surprisingly. Basically I realised I was being an ass. I apologised. We made up… if you know what I mean." Nathan said raising his eyebrows suggestively. "We talked through some stuff and moved on."

"Well I'm glad. I guess things weren't that bad… or Haley was just being her usual forgiving self." Replied Lucas, assuming the second option was correct.

"Hales is a saint, man. Even I didn't expect her to forgive me so easily." He said before confessing to his brother "I forgot our second anniversary for God's sake!"

Lucas spat out his beer upon hearing Nate's confession. "You what?" he asked a little angrily once he had stopped choking on the beverage.

"I don't know how I did it Luke. I totally forgot it. A few days after Haley and I sorted things out, I was looking through one of my date books and came across a page that I had highlighted months earlier, marking our anniversary… and realised I was about nine weeks too late."

"Jesus. Haley must have been shattered." Luke had settled down a little. He was still annoyed with his brother for making such a big mistake, but knew that if Haley had forgiven him, then he should too.

"When I saw the date book, I remembered back to the night of our anniversary. We had a huge fight because Haley didn't want to go to a charity event. I obviously didn't know at the time, but she had made special plans for us that night and that's why she was so angry and refused to go with me. I left her at home upset." Said Nathan full of shame. "Later on, she told me she had made a reservation at our favourite restaurant. I felt like such an asshole… still do."

"Good." Said Luke honestly. "You were being one." Lucas softened a little to let his brother know he wasn't angry with him. "Did you at least make it up to her?"

"Yeah" Nathan replied, smiling at the memory

_Flashback_

_Haley got home from Margie and Barry's and entered the foyer of their home. The house seemed suspiciously quiet, so she called out for Nathan._

"_In the bedroom" he shouted back_

_Haley made her way upstairs to find their room lit up with candles and a table for two set up on their small adjoining balcony._

"_What's all this? Where's Levi?" she asked as Nathan ushered her to her seat._

"_Levi's at Becca's for the night." He said pouring some wine. "And this, my beautiful wife, is my apology to you for forgetting our anniversary." He said in an apologetic tone. "I'm so sorry Hales. I wasn't being myself back then and I just realised yesterday that I had forgotten."_

_Haley was speechless. She was so happy that he had finally remembered and was trying to make it up to her. This was the Nathan she knew and loved._

"_I love you so much Hales. And I promise I'll never make a mistake like that again." He said kneeling down beside her so they were at eye level._

_Haley cupped his cheek and smiled at him lovingly. "It's ok Nate. You can't keep apologising for everything. I've forgiven you. That means that all the crap that happened over the last couple of months is over. We need to move on now." She grinned widely before adding "But that doesn't mean I'm not going to enjoy punishing you tonight."_

_Nathan smirked at her flirting. "No problem babe. The whips, chains and handcuffs are under the bed."_

"_Moving on." Haley said with a laugh. "What are we eating tonight?" she asked eyeing the covered tray before her. "I'm starved."_

_Nathan removed the lid to reveal two large bowls of macaroni and cheese._

"_Of course. Thanks babe."_

_End of flashback_

"Sounds like your grovelling worked" joked Lucas

Nathan ignored his brother's teasing. "It was a great night. And the two months since then have been amazing. It's just like old times. Even better."

"Well, I'm happy for you two." He replied genuinely. "You look tired. How about we catch up more tomorrow?"

Nathan nodded his head, happy with the chance to join his wife in the bedroom. "Goodnight Luke."

"Goodnight little brother"


	49. Hurricane Brooke

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or any of its characters**

**_Author's Note: I don't have as much time to work on this story at the moment, so the chapters may be a little shorter on occasion._**

Lucas had just started lathering his hair with shampoo during his morning shower when he heard the doorbell ring. He knew that Nathan and Haley were still in bed and didn't really want to wake them, but he wouldn't be able to get to the door any time soon, so he stuck his head out of the shower and yelled "Nate. Can you get the door please."

Nathan had already heard the doorbell and pulled on a pair of sweatpants. He made his way out of his and Haley's bedroom and walked slowly to the door mumbling "Who the hell is visiting Luke at 7:30 am?". He opened the door to find a very shocked and excited Brooke.

"Nate!" she squealed, throwing herself in his arms and taking his larger form into a surprising tight bear hug.

"Hey Brooke. I guess you missed me." He laughed as they stumbled back from the force of her flinging herself at him.

Haley had just emerged from bedroom after hearing the commotion coming from the living area. "Hey. Hands off my half naked husband!" she joked with a smile at seeing the reunion before her.

"Tutorgirl!" Brooke squealed again, running to her friend and hugging her tightly. "I'm surprised I even recognised you." She said with a smirk after pulling away to look at her friend.

"Alright Brooke. I get it. It's been a while." She said, knowing her friend had been disappointed that Haley hadn't visited them in the past six months.

"A while?" Brooke questioned accusingly while raising her eyebrows.

"OK. It's been way too long. I should have come out to visit earlier. I'm a bad friend…" Haley said trailing off as she realised that Brooke was not hearing a word she said. Haley followed Brooke's gaze to see Luke had just exited the bathroom and was making his way to his bedroom wearing only a towel. A smirk emerged on her face as she said teasingly "Like what you see Brooke?".

Haley's comment brought Brooke out of her Lucas induced haze. "Huh? Oh, shut up!" she said blushing. It had been a while since Brooke had seen her husband even partially undressed and after many nights spent wondering, she now knew that he still had the same effect on her. Brooke knew that Haley would have seen the lust in her eyes as she watched Lucas. The last thing she needed was Haley thinking there was a chance that the couple would get back together.

Brooke decided that she needed to change the subject quickly. "Where's my little munchkin?" she asked noticing that she had seen no sign of Levi yet.

"He's still sleeping. I was just about to get him up. Do you want to come with me?" Haley offered before taking Brooke's hand and leading the way to Levi's room.

Luke had gotten dressed and made his way out of his bedroom just as Haley and Brooke were leaving. He couldn't help but stare at his now estranged wife and wish that things were different. He stared after her for a few moments before turning his glance to his brother who seemed to be looking a bit dazed.

"What the hell was that man?" asked Nathan, slightly amused.

"What was what?"

"I think I just the witnessed Hurricane Brooke." Said Nathan with a chuckle. He had forgotten how dramatic and lively things could be when she was around.

Brooke exited the bedroom with Levi in her arms and Haley in tow. "I heard that Nate!" she said glaring at her friend. It took her a moment to notice that Luke had joined them. "Hey Luke" she said with a shy smile. They had been working on this friends thing for a while now, but she still felt nervous half the time.

He smiled back warmly, loving the sight of her holding his nephew. His smile soon faded a little though, when he realised he wouldn't have that with her. It pained him to think about it. If he was completely honest with himself, he'd be happy to have a child with her right now. It had freaked him out so much when Brooke had discovered she was pregnant and even though he wanted her to keep the baby, it was still an inconvenience. It was different now, though. After everything that had happened, Luke would give anything to have Brooke back and have a child with her.

"Hey Brooke. I can't believe you got to see my nephew before I did." He pouted jokingly.

"That's because I'm his favourite Aunt Brookie.." she said confidently. Lucas raised his eyebrows questioningly. "Well, he is named after me." she said while walking over to Luke and placing Levi into his arms. They both began fussing over their nephew who was loving every second of the attention. Even though the toddler hadn't seen them in six months, he recognised them because Haley kept pictures of them all over the house and made sure that he knew who his family were.

Meanwhile, Haley had joined Nate who was leaning against the back of the couch. He pulled her into his arms with her back against his chest and his arms around her waist. She twister her neck slightly and looked up at him and said sadly "Sometimes it's so hard to believe that they're not together anymore."

Nathan hugged her more tightly, knowing how much his wife hated the separation of her two closest friends. "I know baby. It just seems so wrong for them to not be happy and flirty and just plain annoyingly cheerful." He whispered in her ear. "But maybe they'll make it. Look at us. I know it's not the same, but we've been through some pretty hard times and we've managed to make it through… and we're more in love than ever."

Haley twisted around in his embrace and smiled warmly at her husband. He was so good at comforting her and knowing just the right thing to say to make her feel better. Looking into his eyes at that moment, she knew he was right. They were more in love than ever. She never knew she could love anyone as much as she did him. Standing on her tippy toes, she reached up and cover his mouth with hers, kissing him passionately. If only a kiss could convey how much she was feeling in that moment. When they pulled away, they could see so much love and lust in each others eyes.

Nate looked over at Brooke and Lucas who were still playing with their son. "Luke. You're on Levi duty today right?" he stated, more than questioned.

Brooke looked at Luke questioningly. "Haley said I could have Levi for the day. I've really missed him." He said.

"Me too." She said kissing her nephew forehead.

"Why don't you hang out with us today? I was going to take him out to the park and to get ice cream." He asked, desperately hoping she'd agree.

"Sure. I'd love to." She smiled

Lucas looked back to Nathan who had a suspiciously cheeky grin on his face. "What?" Luke asked his brother.

"Nothing." He said looking down at his wife with a flirtatious glint in his eyes.

"So when do you want us to take him?" asked Brooke, looking at the couple

Haley and Nathan looked at each other smirking. Nathan's hand moved to cup Haley's ass. He lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist.

"Now" they both said staring into each others eyes as Nathan carried her into the bedroom and kicked the door shut.

Lucas and Brooke both giggled at their friends antics. "They're just as bad as they were in high school." She said to Luke.

He smiled at her remembering his similar thoughts the night before. "I know. That's what I said to them last night."

Brooke knew that they were both thinking the same thing. That they wished their marriage had worked and that they were the happy couple. But she didn't want to ruin today. She wanted them both to have a great time with Levi. So she pushed all painful thoughts to the back of her mind.

"So. Where to first?" she said cheerfully, knowing Lucas could see right through her fake merriment.

"I say we start off by getting this guy changed out of his pyjamas. Then we go to the park." He said lifting Levi up off the floor.

Brooke nodded in agreement and followed them into the spare room Levi was using. She leant against the doorway and watched as Lucas changed Levi's diaper and got him dressed. Luke was so good with him, that her heart ached. She longed to be able to watch Luke with their own children. Children they'd never have.

"Um. I'm sorry Luke. I have to go." She said turning and leaving the room.

Lucas placed Levi into the cot he had borrowed for Levi to use and followed after her. Just as she reached the door, he grabbed her wrist and turned her to him.

"Brooke?" he asked as he saw the tears escaping her eyes. She wouldn't look at him. She couldn't look at him without pouring her heart out to him.

Lucas cupped one side of her face with his large hand. She automatically leaned into his touch, revelling in the warmth. He watched her, knowing she was enjoying this as much as he was. Her eyes were closed and she was obviously lost in the moment. Luke knew he could ruin things by making his next move, but he had no control over himself.

He leant forward and gently touched his lips to hers. She responded straight away as he sucked on her lower lip softly. He was taken by surprise as he felt her tongue slip past his lips, slowly massaging his own. He was in heaven and never wanted the moment to end, because he knew when it did, reality would come crashing down on them.

He snaked an arm around her waist pulling her closer to him and she placed her arms around his neck, before pulling his head closer to deepen the kiss even further. Lucas could taste her salty tears and feel them still flowing as he moved both his hands to cup either side of her face. The kiss was passionate and heartfelt full of longing and regret.

And then it came. Reality. Levi's loud, yet happy squeal broke them out of their dream world and Brooke pulled away from him quickly. He could see so many emotions written all over her face. Confusion. Love. Desperation. Pain.

"I have to go." She said quickly before turning to leave again.

"Why?" he asked harshly, frustrated with the situation. He knew the reason, but wanted any excuse to make her stay.

Brooke froze for a moment. The reason she had to leave was because if she stayed, she'd never be able to leave again. She would stay with Lucas and they would get back together, and they'd be happy… for a while at least. Until Lucas realised that she couldn't give him the life he wanted. If she told him this, he would deny it and say that she was all he needed. But she doubted that was true. Knowing that Lucas would be persistent, she decided the best way to get out of their now, was to hurt him. Make him want her to leave.

She turned slowly after composing herself. She now wore a mask so that he couldn't see what she was feeling or thinking.

"Because I have a date tonight, remember? I've got things to organise." She said coldly before walking away.


	50. Mmm I love Spaghetti!

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or any of its characters.**

_**Author's Note: I can't believe I've made it to 50 chapters. I was so nervous about writing a story in the beginning, I never imagined it would be this long, but I just can't seem to end it. There's so much more to come. I don't know what it is yet, but I'll figure it out. Actually, quite a lot of my ideas come to me in my dreams. That's where I got the idea for this story in the first place. I wonder if it's weird to dream about my story so much? Oh well. Hope you enjoy. Please review.**_

Lucas laughed as he watched his nephew eating the last of his ice cream cone. The boy's face was covered with chocolate ice cream from his mouth to even a spot on his forehead. Lucas had seen first hand that Levi's coordination wasn't quite fully developed yet. Not that the little boy cared, every time he'd missed his mouth and covered a new part of his face with the sticky substance, he flew into a fit of giggles. Lucas had actually begun to wonder if Levi was doing it on purpose.

"I have to get you cleaned up buddy, before your mom and dad kill me." He said as he took a stack of napkins and began cleaning the boy's face. Levi giggled and squirmed, trying to get out of his uncle's grasp.

Suddenly, Levi's squirming stopped and Lucas watched as he eyed a slightly older child exiting the ice cream shop that they now sat in front of. The child was holding a cone with a double scoop on it and Levi was practically salivating.

"More!" he squealed excitedly, looking at Luke with wide eyes. "More ice cream!" he yelled again jumping up and down on the bench seat while clapping his hands together.

"No more Levi. You've already had enough." Said Luke softly, hating to deny the gorgeous little boy with the cherub face anything he wished for.

Lucas felt his resolve crumble as Levi's lower lip began to pout and quiver ever so slightly. Then came the shallow breathing before a few stray tears escaped the boy's eyes and he began to sob loudly. Luke picked him up and held him closely trying in vain to comfort him and stop his crying.

"Ok Levi. Just one more scoop." he sighed, knowing that Haley would kill him if she ever found out how much junk food he had fed her son today.

Gradually the tears stopped and a smile spread across Levi's face. He wrapped his arms around his uncle's neck and hugged him squealing "Yay. Ice cream!"

It was then that Lucas realised he had totally been played by a two year old.

* * *

Brooke glanced nervously around the restaurant. She had been here many times before and it was actually one of her favourites. But all of her memories included her husband and their frequent romantic dinners at their regular table in a secluded corner. She looked at the couple who occupied that table tonight. They were leaning close, speaking in hushed voices. It was all very intimate and anyone could see they were very much in love. Brooke watched as the woman's foot rubbed her dinner companion's leg softly and slowly, as he held both her hands, gently rubbing circles with his thumbs. It was just like watching her and Lucas before they had separated.

"Brooke? Are you ok?" asked Damien, her date for the evening. He was in one of her business classes and they had become fast friends. He was outgoing and friendly just like she was and they had gravitated towards each other from their very first meeting. Of course, Brooke had been happily married at the time and Damien knew that nothing romantic would ever come from their friendship. That was until Brooke returned to classes after a three week absence and he noticed that she was no longer wearing her wedding ring.

Damien was a good guy and it wasn't like he had been sitting around waiting to pounce, but he wouldn't deny being a little relieved when Brooke had opened up to him one day and told him that her marriage was over. She hadn't gone into details or told him about the baby, but she did tell him that she and Lucas were over for good. It had taken him a good four months to get up the courage to ask her out on a date, and now he was thinking it had been a bad idea.

"Huh?" she asked, not hearing his question.

"I was just asking if you're ok. You seem to be someplace else tonight." He said softly, genuinely concerned about her.

Brooke thought about his statement. He was right. She was someplace else. With someone else. She was in the past with Lucas. Brooke really did like Damien. He was smart, funny, and totally hot… but he wasn't her husband. It was then that Brooke realised that she was never going to be over him. No matter how many dates she went on or how many 'Damien's' came along, she would always belong to Lucas. She thought about the passionate kiss they had shared that morning and how much she had just wanted to rip his clothes off and make love to him and hold him in her arms forever. But she had ruined it. She had let her fears, doubts and insecurities stand between her and happiness with the man she loved more than life itself. Brooke was so lost in thought that she didn't even realise that she had begun to cry.

"Brooke? What's wrong?" asked Damien, even more concerned than before.

She looked at him with a slight sad smile. "I'm sorry Damien. But this isn't going to work. I can't do this." She whispered. "Please take me home."

* * *

"Haley! Your son is being a brat!" yelled Nathan from the kitchen where he was trying in vain to feed Levi his dinner. For some unknown reason, Levi had been bouncing off the walls ever since Lucas had brought him home that evening. Nathan had expected his son to be worn out after a big day out with this Uncle Lucas, but it was quite the opposite. Levi was rearing to go and wouldn't sit still for more than a minute at a time.

Haley entered the kitchen to see both her husband and son covered in spaghetti. Levi had obviously been throwing the stuff at his dad because Nathan had speckles of the sauce all over his face. She could also see by his stained lips that her husband had been also eating the food, trying to entice Levi to eat some too. She tried to suppress the giggle building up inside of her, but she couldn't hold it in. Nathan glared at her for making fun of the situation which only made her giggles turn into full bellied chuckles. She walked over to them and wiped some of the spaghetti off Nathan's cheek before sucking her finger clean.

"Can't take you anywhere, Scott!" she said with mock sternness. "And how come he's only 'my son' when you're not getting your way?" she asked raising her eyebrow. Nathan pouted at her in response. "I swear, sometimes I think I have two children." She said jokingly before taking Nathan by surprise with an impromptu kiss. She pulled away slightly and traced her lips with her tongue. "Mmm… I love spaghetti." She said with a certain cockiness as she was about to leave her husband to finish the impossible task of feeding their child. But before she could turn away, she felt a blob of now cold pasta hit her cheek. She winced and squealed, which made both father and son laugh loudly. It was now her turn to glare at Nathan and pout. Never one to give up a chance for revenge, Nathan stood up from his chair, grabbed Haley's face gently and licked the food off her cheek. "Mmm… I love spaghetti."

Nathan pulled her closer so that she was flat up against him and kissed her fervently. She pulled away quickly squealing "Nathan! I just had a shower. Now I'm all covered in food!"

"Don't worry about it baby. Just let me get this one ready for bed, and then I'll lick you clean" he said seductively.

Haley raised her eyebrows in both surprise and delight. "As good as that sounds, I think we're going to have to take a raincheck. The chances of you getting Levi to sleep any time soon are slim to none." She said with a chuckle as she watched her son bouncing around in his high chair.

Nathan followed her gaze and was reminded of how boisterous Levi was tonight. "What the hell did Luke do to him today?" he asked in wonderment.

"Well, he took Levi for ice cream, and I'm guessing our little boy used his secret weapon to get a second helping." She said trying to sound dramatic

Nathan gasped dramatically "Oh no. Not the 'pout 'n cry'. No one can resist that!" he joked. Nathan knew that his brother would be powerless to say no to Levi. It had taken him a long time to learn how to resist the waterworks that Levi put on when he didn't get his own way. Even now, he sometimes gave in. But he would never let Haley know that.

About an hour later, Nathan had bathed his son and put him to bed. As soon as Levi had sat in the tub full of warm water, sleepiness had started to take over. It had been a big day for the toddler, going to park first, then the beach and then a quick visit to see Jake, Peyton, Jenny and Elizette. Nathan was grateful for some peace and quiet.

Once he was sure Levi was definitely asleep, he closed the bedroom door to find that Haley was no longer watching TV, in fact she was nowhere to be seen. He opened their bedroom door and in the darkness could make out her figure lying on their bed. He assumed she was asleep, so he walked quietly to his side table and switched on the lamp. To his surprise, he found a very awake and a very naked, Haley lying on her side watching him.

"A little bit early isn't it Hales? We haven't even eaten dinner" he asked teasingly

Haley gave Nathan her best smirk before rolling to the other side of the bed and picking up a large bowl of spaghetti.

"Dinner in bed. We haven't done that in a while." He said approvingly.

"No, we haven't" said Haley still smirking.

Nathan stripped down to his boxers and sat on the bed beside her. He went to grab the large bowl from her hands as his stomach growled in hunger with the food now before him. Haley quickly pulled it away, shaking her finger at him.

"No. I don't think so." She said teasingly

Nathan pouted again. "Fine. I'll go get my own bowl." He said reaching for his pants and t-shirt on the floor. He stood up and was about to put them back on when he heard his wife laugh. He turned around and his jaw dropped when he saw that she had spread a trail of spaghetti sauce reaching from her navel to the valley between her breasts.

"What?" she asked innocently. "I thought you wanted to lick me clean?"

"Hales, my angel. I love it when you're naughty." He said huskily

Nathan returned to the bed and knelt over her. He lowered his head and placed his tongue on her stomach, swirling around her belly button for a moment, before kicking up all the way to her breasts, cleaning off all the spaghetti on the way. He looked into her eyes, seeing the sparkle of mischief and even a hint of pride, for taking such initiative in their sex life.

Nathan licked his lips "Mmm… I love spaghetti." He said before covering his mouth with hers, their hunger completely forgotten as they spent the next few hours making love.


	51. Seeing The Light

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or any of it's characters.**

Brooke sat apprehensively with her hands in her lap. Damien had driven her home and they were now parked outside her apartment complex. The entire ride home was spent in silence as she was having trouble finding the words to apologise to him.

"It's ok Brooke." He said softly after noticing how uncomfortable she was.

She looked over at him and smiled slightly. "Thank you for being so understanding."

"No need to thank me. You're a friend and I hope to keep it that way." He said sincerely, knowing that her heart still belonged with her husband.

"Of course." She said warmly before leaning over to kiss him softly on the cheek.

"Goodnight Brooke." He said leaning up and kissing her on the forehead.

"Goodnight." She replied as she got out of the car. Just as she reached the sidewalk Brooke heard him call her back, so she walked back over to the car where he had wound down the window.

"Yeah?" she asked

"Do something for me?" he asked

"What?" she asked curiously

"Talk to Lucas." He responded before pulling out of the parking spot and driving off down the road.

Brooke stood still for a few minutes while she absorbed everything that had happened that day. She thought about her earlier kiss with Lucas and how right it had felt. She thought about the couple at the restaurant and how she wished she and Lucas were still like that. Then finally she thought about what Damien had said to her. 'Am I really that transparent?' she thought to herself.

"I have to see him." She whispered before heading to her apartment to change and go and see Lucas.

* * *

Jake watched as Peyton folded laundry. There seemed to be a never ending supply of it since Elizette was born. He walked to her and pulled the article out of her hands.

"Leave it babe. I'll do it tomorrow." He said sweetly

"It won't take long. I don't mind." She said picking it up again.

"Well I do. I really want to go to bed and hold you tight." He said as he slipped his arms around her waist.

That was something that she loved about her husband. They had such a hectic lifestyle with Peyton looking after two children and Jake attending classes part time and holding down a job. But he always found ways to help her out around the house and even though half the time they were too tired to make love, he was happy to kiss her and cuddle her and hold her at night.

"Well, I guess it could wait until tomorrow." She said lightly before kissing him tenderly.

"Yep" he agreed

"Speaking of tomorrow. I'm so excited about catching up with Nathan and Haley. It will be good to sit around and have lunch together like old times." She sighed, remembering how long ago it seemed since they had managed to all get together.

"Yeah. Well almost the same as old times." Said Jake a little sad.

"Look, we tried Jake. We spoke to Lucas today and all we seemed to do was make things worse."

_Flashback_

"_I can't believe how much he's grown." Squealed Peyton as she hugged Levi. Lucas had just brought him around for a visit during their day out together. _

"_Yeah. He and Jenny will be able to play together now." Said Jake fussing over the little boy._

_Peyton placed him down on the floor with Jenny amongst her toys and they played side by side happily, sharing and giggling away like they were regular play buddies._

"_So. What's new Luke?" asked Jake as the three adults sat down to supervise the kids._

_After a few moments of silence he finally blurted out "I kissed Brooke." _

"_What?" asked Peyton completely shocked, but pleased nevertheless. _

"_Yeah. Um, this morning. She came by and she decided to come with me and Levi today. She sort of freaked out, I'm still not sure why, and headed for the door, but I stopped her and we had a... a moment I guess. Then we kissed." He sighed remembering the event fondly _

"_And?" she asked impatiently_

_Lucas sighed dejectedly. "And then she freaked out again and ran off, making sure to remind me about her little date tonight."_

_Peyton and Jake exchanged glances, knowing now was the time to let Luke know just what was going on in his wife's head._

"_We know why Brooke freaked out on you Lucas." Peyton said as he watched her closely_

"_You've spoken to her?" he asked wondering why they hadn't mentioned Brooke coming by today._

"_Yes. Well not today, but Brooke and I had a bit of a D & M the other day and she finally told me what's going on in that head of hers." _

"_D & M?" asked Lucas needing clarification_

"_Sorry. Deep and meaningful conversation." She replied as both men just nodded their heads, now understanding what she was talking about. "Luke, this is sort of simple, yet very complicated at the same time." _

"_Sounds like my Brooke" joked Lucas trying to hide the fact that he was terrified of knowing exactly what was keeping his wife from returning to him._

"_Brooke doesn't think she deserves you, Luke. She is still feeling guilty about what happened and even though she's still in love with you, she thinks you can't be together."_

"_Why?" Luke exclaimed before giving her a chance to finish._

"_Brooke knows you want a family someday, and now she can't give it to you. She thinks that you will end up resenting her one day because you're going to realise that you should be with someone who can have your children."_

_Lucas was silent and absolutely still. Jake and Peyton were both worried about his reaction to the news. They didn't know what they expected from him, but they thought he might even be a little relieved to know, or even happy at the thought that he could convince Brooke she was wrong._

_After what felt like hours, but was in actual fact only a few minutes, he spoke up. "She really thinks that little of me?" he hissed._

_The couple began to worry if they had done the wrong thing by telling him. They could see the anger frustration emanating from their friend. _

"_Luke, please don't be upset with her. She's not making any judgements about you, she's just being irrational and illogical. That's what insecurities are. All of this is about her, not you, Lucas." Reasoned Peyton_

_Lucas was hearing none of it. All he thought at that moment was how his wife had such little faith in him and in their marriage. He was so upset that she thought his love for her wouldn't surpass the fact that she couldn't give him children. _

"_Whatever Peyt. I'm done. She can go and date Damien and whoever else she wants because we're through." He said before picking up his nephew. "It's time for me to move on." She spat leaving the stunned couple sitting in silence._

_End of Flashback_

"_It's all up to them now. I just hope things aren't too tense at lunch tomorrow" Said Jake sadly before taking his wife's hand and leading her to their room for the night._

* * *

Nathan's eyes fluttered open to see his wife propped up on her elbow watching him.

"What's wrong baby?" he asked, wondering why she wasn't asleep. Usually after they had such amazing sex like they'd had earlier, she would be dead to the world.

Haley lifted he hand and gently traced the outline of his face with her fingers, not saying anything, just taking his features in.

"Hales?" he prompted her to open up to him.

"Everything's just going so well at the moment." She mused

"I know. Everything's great." He replied, leaning up to give her a soft kiss. "So what's bothering you?"

"Nothing." She lied, knowing he would see straight through her.

"Hales!" he said sternly, letting her know he hadn't bought it.

"I'm gonna miss you." She whispered, holding back a sob.

Nathan's heart jumped as he panicked at her words. What did she mean by that?. His thoughts quickly flashed back to the times that she had left him before. When she went on tour and when she went to Florida to live with Rosie. Nathan was suddenly filled with terror. Was she leaving him again? Surely not, they were so happy again. Maybe she wasn't as happy as she seemed. Maybe she still hadn't really forgiven him for neglecting her.

Nathan immediately threw his arms around her protectively and brought her body so close that it was flat against his.

"No Haley. I won't let you leave me again." She whispered into her hair.

At first Haley was confused by her husbands words, but then she realised he had jumped to the wrong conclusion.

"No. Nate. I'm not leaving." She said firmly to reassure him.

He loosened his grip on her, tilting her head up to look down into her eyes.

"I meant I'm gonna miss you when you go to Italy. I can't stand the thought of us being apart for a whole month." She said before burying her head into his chest to cry.

Nathan felt so relieved that he had misunderstood her, but his body couldn't relax completely as he thought of the last month of summer, when he would leave his wife and child here in North Carolina to go to Italy for his Adidas contract.

After discussing it with Haley, Nathan agreed to do the Adidas campaign when the company had promised to reduce his time spent away from home. They had agreed to change his schedule so that instead of doing bits and pieces and travelling back and forth for a three month period, all the work would be condensed into one month. At the time, they both agreed that it wouldn't be so bad seeing as though they had a whole two months together beforehand. But now, he knew that it would be the longest month of his life.

"I'm gonna miss you too baby." He said running his hand soothingly along her back. "But it's only a month and it's not going to change anything. When I get back I promise we'll spend every spare second together. Just you, me and Levi. Our little family." He said, trying to make her feel better, as well as himself.

Haley did felt better after hearing his words, knowing he was telling the truth. Nathan had proven to her that he wanted to spend more time as a family. She lowered her hand from his chest and rubbed it along her stomach, smiling as she thought about the baby growing inside of her. The newest addition to their family. She hadn't told Nathan yet, as she had only found out the week before, herself. She just didn't feel right about announcing it just yet. It was going to be painful news for Brooke, and she wasn't ready to hurt her friend like that.

* * *

Brooke entered her apartment with a grin plastered on her face. She was going to see Lucas tonight and she was going to make things right. They were going to be together again.

She walked into her bedroom which was shrouded in darkness, and slowly took off her high heels. Brooke was so lost in her thoughts of Lucas that she didn't even notice the unmoving figure sitting on the end of her bed. Just as she began to walk to her bedside table so that she could turn on the lamp, Brooke screamed with fright as she felt a hand take hold of her wrist.


	52. No More Running

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or any of its characters.**

**_Author's Note: Hey everyone. I'm Back! I have been trying to upload this chapter for three days, but there have been errors or problems with the site that wouldn't allow me to do it. I know some of you look forward to your daily update, so I'm sorry I couldn't get it to you sooner. Please review._**

_Brooke entered her apartment with a grin plastered on her face. She was going to see Lucas tonight and she was going to make things right. They were going to be together again._

_She walked into her bedroom which was shrouded in darkness, and slowly took off her high heels. Brooke was so lost in her thoughts of Lucas that she didn't even notice the unmoving figure sitting on the end of her bed. Just as she began to walk to her bedside table so that she could turn on the lamp, Brooke screamed with fright as she felt a hand take hold of her wrist._

* * *

The frightened woman's reflexes took over her as she pulled her arm forward and then sent a sharp elbow into the intruder's ribs. He immediately doubled over, winded from the blow and let go of his grip on Brooke's wrist. She knew this may be the last time she would have the upper hand so she pulled her right arm back and punched the intruder. It was still dark, so she couldn't see exactly where she was hitting him, but felt her knuckles colliding with his face. Her hand stung, but she was racing with adrenalin which numbed the pain substantially.

"Brooke! God damn it!" the intruder yelled in a strangled, raspy voice.

Brooke stopped in her tracks, stunned. She'd know that voice anywhere. She raced to the doorway and flicked the switch, bathing the room in light. She squinted and took a few moments to adjust to the brightness. When she did, Brooke saw Lucas lying on the floor near her bed, placing his hand tentatively over his left eye.

"Lucas!" she exclaimed at the sight of him. He slowly sat up and propped himself up against the side of her bed. She ran to his side, falling to her knees before him and gently placed her hand over his which still covered his eye. She tentatively pulled his hand away revealing his eye to be swollen and showing early signs of a nasty purple bruise. Brooke slowly and tenderly touched the affected area causing Lucas to wince slightly.

"I'm sorry." She said. Two simple words, but to the heartbroken couple they meant so much. Lucas knew that she wasn't just apologising for physically hurting him tonight. She was apologising for her part in the mess they'd made of their marriage. For having the abortion. For all the subsequent arguments. For pulling away from him and for leaving him earlier that day.

Lucas looked up into her eyes and she now noticed that her husband had been crying. She felt a pang of guilt knowing that he had been sitting here waiting for her to come home from a date with another man. She wasn't sure if she had the right words to convey how she was feeling or what she wanted, so instead, Brooke leant in and softly kissed his bruised face.

"Better?" she asked sweetly

Lucas gave her a slight smile "A little" he offered, revelling in the attention he had craved for so long now.

She moved in and placed a chaste kiss on his lips. "How about now?" she asked in a flirtatious manner.

Lucas grinned at her, ignoring the slight pain this caused. "Not quite there yet" he replied, playing along.

Brooke quickly moved forward and covered his mouth with hers. Lucas sucked teasingly on her bottom lip and she took the opportunity to slip her tongue into his mouth, exploring every crevice. It was becoming quite heated as the couple fought for dominance. Lucas placed his arm around her waist and pulled her to him so that she was almost lying across his lap, with him bending down to meet her lips. She let herself go, knowing that he had her.

Lucas felt as though his body was on fire. It reacted to every single touch, even her hair falling down along his arm sent shockwaves through his entire being. He never wanted to let her go, but soon found the need for air overwhelming and they pulled apart with Brooke sitting herself up again and moving back to put some space in between them.

Lucas immediately saw this as rejection and said firmly "No way Brooke. Not again. You're not running away from me again. From this. From us." He said gesturing between them, his mind in a panic.

He watched as his wife stayed silent, staring at the floor. Lucas could see that she was thinking deeply. He imagined what thoughts were running through her head. He could just see her brain ticking away, thinking up the perfect excuse to get out of there.

She looked up at her husband shyly. "I miss you." She confessed barely above a whisper.

Lucas was pleasantly surprised and took hold of her hands, needing to touch her again. "I miss you too." He sighed staring into her eyes intently. "I can't live without you Brooke. I've tried, but I can't. I love you too much. You are my whole world."

Brooke smiled warmly at his confession. "God. I love you so much Luke." She barely managed to get out before flinging herself forward and kissing him quickly, but passionately. "I want you back. I thought I would be able to move on and eventually be happy, but I'll never truly be happy without you."

Lucas couldn't believe that she'd finally told him what he longed to hear from her. His heart jumped, almost as if it was being restarted again after their time apart. He pushed himself forward, capturing her lips and pressing her back against the floor with him perched above her. Brooke quickly began unbuttoning his shirt, wanting to feel his skin against hers.

Lucas used one arm to hold himself up, while the other reached behind her neck to untie the top of her halter neck dress. Once undone, he broke their kiss and pulled the top of her dress down exposing her bare chest to him, before licking and sucking his way down from her neck to her breasts.

Brooke moaned in delight at the feel of his tongue as he expertly toyed with her nipples. Meanwhile, she slid her hand down his chest and undid his pants, brushing lightly against his hardened cock. Lucas' hips bucked involuntarily at the sensation and a low guttural moan escaped his lips. Brooke quickly pushed his pants down to his thighs so that she could rub him torturously. Deciding to return the favour, Lucas pushed his wife's dress up her thighs and rhythmically rubbed her centre through the silky fabric of her thong, revelling in the wetness that had already collected there. He always did get off on knowing how much she wanted him.

"I need you now Luke." She whispered hoarsely, taking hold of his throbbing erection and pushing her underwear aside so that he was situated right at her entrance. They were still for a few moments, gazing into each other's eyes lovingly before Brooke arched up to push him inside of her, which prompted Lucas to thrust into her fully.

Brooke wrapped a leg around his waist, digging her heel into his ass and forcing him deeper inside of her. Knowing she wanted more, Lucas lifted her other leg above his shoulder for better access causing them both to come quickly. Brooke's legs felt like jelly and she let them fall to floor as Lucas collapsed on top of his wife. Immediately Brooke wrapped her arms around his quivering form and they lay together fighting for steady breath.

* * *

The next morning Haley awoke to a loud thumping sound and soon realised that someone was knocking loudly on the door. Nathan stirred slightly, but buried his head further into his pillow and shutting out the world around him. Haley pulled on her robe, deciding that Lucas must be ignoring the obtrusive noise as well as her husband.

As soon as she opened the bedroom door, Haley heard Levi wake up and begin to cry as he often did when disturbed from his sleep. The knocking on the front door continued, but she never could bear the sound of her son crying, so Haley went in to comfort Levi first. As soon as his mother entered the room, Levi's crying reduced to soft sobbing and ceased altogether once she had lifted him into her arms and he snuggled into her chest sleepily.

With Levi still in her arms, Haley made her way to the front door and opened it to reveal Karen.

"Haley?" Karen asked, shocked to see the girl she often thought of as a daughter. "What are you doing here? Is everything ok with Nathan?"

"Hi Karen. Everything's fine. Nathan's asleep in the bedroom. We're here for the summer, but Taylor has guests at our house, so we're staying with Luke for a little while."

The older woman entered the apartment and kissed Haley on the cheek. Levi looked up at Karen and immediately reached for her, which took her by surprise seeing as though she hadn't seen any of them for almost a year since they moved away.

Haley handed her son over to Karen and explained that she had been showing him pictures of all her friends and family so he knew who they were.

"Is Lucas here? I'm on my way to a business owners conference and thought I'd drop by and see him for a few minutes.

"Just hang on and I'll wake the guys up." She responded before heading into her room to wake up her husband, while Karen went to the kitchen to boil the kettle.

Haley crawled her way up the bed and bent over Nathan whispering in his ear "Wake up babe". Nathan registered her presence but still did not wake up, instead pulling her down into a hug and nestling his face into the crook of her neck.

Haley loved spending her mornings this way, but knew that they had a guest waiting for them. "Nathan. You have to get up. Karen's here." She said more forcefully this time, getting the desired result as he opened his eyes, kissed her lightly and got up out of bed to put a t-shirt on.

Haley decided that she could just wear her robe around Karen, after all she had lived with her before. She made her way to Lucas' bedroom door and rapped lightly to wake him up. When she heard no movement, she opened the door slightly to reveal an empty bed that obviously hadn't been slept in. This worried her, because Lucas always told them if he was going anywhere and yesterday when he had dropped Levi off at home, he had seemed a little upset and left in a hurry. Haley decided to call Peyton and see if he had stayed over at her house because she really didn't want Karen to worry.

She walked to the phone on his bedside table and dialled the number.

"Hello?" greeted Jake in a groggy voice

"Hey Jake. It's Haley. Sorry if I woke you up." She said

"That's cool. What's up?" he asked, thinking how odd it was for Haley to call so early.

"Did Luke stay with you guys last night?" she asked trying to mask her concern.

"No he didn't. Hang on, I think you should talk to Peyt." Jake handed the phone to his wife who had been listening to his side of the conversation. He quickly mouthed the words 'It's Haley'.

"Hi Hales. Luke didn't come home last night?" she asked

"No. Karen just arrived and I went to wake him, but his bed hasn't been slept in." she said a little anxiously.

"Oh." Replied Peyton thinking about his state of mind when he left their house the day before.

"What's going on Peyton?" asked Haley who could tell that her friend knew something.

"Lucas was here yesterday. We talked about Brooke and he kind of got upset. He was talking about how their marriage is over and he needs to move on." She said

"I guess that explains why he seemed so on edge yesterday. I just hope he hasn't done something stupid." Said Haley

"Yeah. Well he's a big boy and I'm sure he's fine." Said Peyton, knowing Haley was prone to worrying. "See you at lunch later?" she asked in a more upbeat tone.

"Yep. Can't wait. It's been far too long." Haley replied before hanging up and making her way out to the kitchen to make up a story about why Lucas wasn't home. She just hoped that he was ok and hadn't done anything he would regret.


	53. The Lunch

**I do not own One Tree Hill or any of its characters.**

**Author's Note: Sorry I missed another update, but once againI couldn't upload my chapter. **

Haley, Nathan, Peyton and Jake sat around a table chatting loudly at Café near the University. They chose this place for their catch up lunch because it was always a favourite hang out spot before Nathan and Haley moved to California. The three children were being looked after by the babysitter that Jake and Peyton regularly used. They had arrived just under half an hour earlier, but were still waiting for both Brooke and Lucas to arrive. They had no idea that the couple were actually together again and had spent the morning making up for lost time.

"Where the hell are they?" whined Nathan who was hungry and getting very irritated with his brother and friend's tardiness.

"I'm sure they'll be here soon. You tried their cell phones didn't you Peyt?" asked Jake

"Yeah. Neither of them are answering. I'm sure everything's fine." She said looking over at Haley who she knew was still concerned about Lucas not coming home.

Nathan could also sense her anxiety and placed his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer to him. "Luke will be fine. He probably just needed to let off some steam." He reason.

"I know. But it's just not like him. I mean the only explanation I can come up with is that he went out and found someone to go home with. I just hope I'm not right." she sighed. Haley knew Lucas was better than that, but couldn't help remembering back to the night he spent with Nikki when he was going through another dark period in his life.

"I have a feeling that's the reason Brooke's late." Said Peyton quietly

Haley looked at her sceptically. "You think she went out and picked up a guy and that's why she's late?"

Peyton chuckled slightly. "Maybe the old Brooke would, but no, that's not what I meant. Brooke had a date last night with a guy from one of her classes. Maybe she had a better time than she expected." She said shrugging her shoulders.

"Brooke is studying fashion. Somehow I think the guys in her class are probably in to something she can't give them." He said with a smirk.

Haley slapped his arm playfully as Peyton glared at him. "He's in her business class actually and he is pretty hot if I do say so myself." She said wriggling her eyebrows. Jake cleared his throat loudly in protest to her comment.

"Sorry babe. You know he's no where near as hot you are." She said before capturing his lips with hers. The kiss lingered, but before they could deepen it they heard the bell jingle above the café door and looked up to see if either of their friends had entered.

To the shock of all four at the table, Brooke and Lucas had entered the café together and were holding hands with broad smiles on their faces. They looked from their faces to their entwined fingers and back again.

Peyton was the first one to speak as the couple made their way over to the table. "Does this mean…?" she prodded

Lucas and Brooke gave each other a loving look while squeezing their hands together for support. "Yeah. We're back together." Said Brooke with a wide grin on her face

Peyton and Haley both jumped out of their seats in record time and ran to embrace their friends. They were both squealing excitedly like a couple of teenagers, causing a few people in the café to stare in their direction. Nathan and Jake laughed at the sight before them and congratulated the couple from where they were sitting. After a few hugs and kind words they all took their seats. Peyton and Jake had to shuffle down a seat because they hadn't planned on Brooke and Lucas wanting to sit together. Lucas pulled out the chair for his wife in typical Lucas Scott romantic fashion and once he was seated, he entwined his fingers with hers under the table. The six friends chattered away happily, forgetting all about their hunger and just enjoying being a complete happy group after such a long time. Brooke and Lucas were constantly breaking away from the conversation to steal kisses and were basically acting like they had just started dating and couldn't keep their hands off one another.

The others kept making jokes and sarcastic comments about them getting a room. Brooke decided she'd had enough. "Hey. Can you guys stop picking on us for five seconds and discuss why we're really here." She said in mock annoyance. "We should really be talking about Nathan and Haley deciding to remember who their real friends are and making a family visit…I mean it did only take about six months!" she said sarcastically while glaring at Nathan and Haley.

"Fine Brooke. We'll stop ignoring you two sucking face." Said Nathan teasing his sister in law.

Peyton decided to jump in before the two got into one of their play arguments. "How long are you guys here for?"

Everyone noticed that both Nathan and Haley seemed to tense up at the question and a silence fell over the table.

"I'm here for three months." Said Haley taking a drink, obviously wanting to get off the topic.

Lucas noticed this and immediately questioned "What do you mean you are here for three months?" he asked thinking that her wording was very strange.

Haley looked at her hands that were fidgeting in her lap. Nathan spoke up for her "Well, I have to go a month before Hales."

"Why? It's the off season." Asked Brooke concerned about the obvious tension between the couple.

Haley was very uncomfortable and decided to try take everyone's attention off how much the conversation was bother her. "You're looking at the new face of Adidas." She said cheerfully gesturing to her husband.

Brooke squealed in delight. Now she could say that she was related to an international model and celebrity. "That's awesome. But why are you leaving. Can't you just travel between here and LA for the month?"

Nathan was starting to look as uncomfortable as Haley was. "I'm not going back to LA. The photo shoots and publicity stuff in happening in Italy."

Haley jumped in with "It's only a month you guys". She was trying so hard to be happy and excited for her husband, but she couldn't help the worrying about him being away for so long. They had just started to get their marriage back on track. "Besides, it means you all get to spend more time with me. Lucky you." She said in her best joyful voice.

"You're right Hales, you're gonna have a great time here with us." He said smiling. "But Nathan, aren't you gonna get lonely in Italy for a month by yourself, not knowing anybody?" he asked.

Nathan visibly tensed up at this question. He hadn't yet told Haley who would be accompanying him while overseas. "Nah. I'll be fine. I will know a few people." He said hoping that would be the end of the conversation.

"Really?" she asked. "Who?" Haley asked having taken note of his last comment and was extremely curious, considering her husband hadn't mentioned anyone he knew going with him.

Nathan glanced at her quickly before focusing on the salt and pepper shakers on the table, avoiding everyone's eyes. "Just some people associated with the Lakers." He said quickly

All their friends could see how uptight he was and that he was hiding something from Haley, who was getting worried by his behaviour.

"Um. Well they decided to make the campaign appeal to a wider audience. I'm there for the female demographic and so they needed someone to cater to the male demographic." He replied trying his best to avoid answering the question.

Haley raised her eyebrows and gave him a look that told him in no uncertain terms that she wanted to know who it was that would be spending a month in Italy with her husband.

"Nathan?" she said more forcefully when he still hadn't answered her.

He looked up guiltily from his hands and into her eyes before whispering "Kendra" just loud enough so that everyone at the table heard him.

Nathan waited for a response. He studied her face carefully excepting her eyes to squint in anger and for her mouth to release an onslaught of angry accusations, but they didn't come. Instead, she looked away and picked up a menu off the table. "I'm starving. Lets order." She said with fake cheeriness.

Nathan knew it was all an act. "Hales?" he asked softly, letting her know that was waiting for her to comment on his confession about Kendra.

She simply ignored him and rambled "I think I might get the pumpkin and fetta gnocchi. It sounds really good.

"Hales?" he pushed again, wanting her to talk to him. He placed his hand on her arm and she visibly flinched. Everyone noticed this and also noticed that she had become very pale. Haley stood up quickly and said "Um. I have to go to the bathroom. I'll be back." Nathan watched her run off hurriedly to the toilets before turning to find four faces looking at him expectantly.

Brooke was the first speak. "What the hell was that Nathan? Is there something we don't know?" she asked suspiciously, smelling a juicy story.

"I guess she's mad because I hadn't told her about Kendra coming for the campaign." He replied, but Brooke wasn't buying that as the reason for Haley's sudden departure. "And… well, Haley doesn't really like her." He said sheepishly, feeling more like an ass every second.

Lucas' overprotective instinct was kicking in and quickly asked "Who is she?" hoping that Nathan hadn't done something stupid when he and Haley were having problems in their marriage.

"A Lakers cheerleader." He replied simply, hoping to avoid a more detailed explanation.

Lucas could see right through his brothers avoidance tactics and asked more forcefully "Why doesn't Haley like her, Nate?"

"She doesn't really get along with her… and she kind of insulted Haley at a Lakers function… and she's kind of flirty." He said avoiding Lucas' gaze.

"Jesus Nate. Could you be anymore evasive today? What does 'she's kind of flirty' really mean?" exclaimed Peyton growing tired with him.

"She's been trying to sleep with me ever since I first joined the team." He sighed

Jake, who had been quiet throughout the whole exchange, looked at Nathan suddenly as though he had just figured out a great mystery.

"Kendra. Is she the one with the long black hair?" he asked

"Yeah. Why?" Nathan asked confused about Jake's question.

Jake leaned over and whacked Nathan lightly in the back of the head. "No wonder Haley's pissed. That Kendra chick practically screams 'slut'."

Lucas shook his head at his brother, wondering how he managed to get himself into yet another situation that would cause drama with his wife. Meanwhile, Brooke and Peyton glared at Nathan before excusing themselves to go check on Haley.

* * *

"Haley? You ok?" Brooke called as they opened the door to the Café's bathroom. Instead of hearing a response, the girls could hear Haley violently throwing up in one of the stalls. They tried the door so that they could hold her hair or rub her back, but it was locked. After a few minutes, Haley emerged looking like death.

"Haley. Do you need us to take you to the doctor? You look really sick." Asked Peyton.

Haley shook her head. "No. I'll be fine." She said before rinsing her mouth and splashing cold water on her face.

"Are you sure. You really do look terrible." Said Brooke before adding. "No offence."

Haley looked at them both and started to cry. She didn't want to but the tears just came and wouldn't stop flowing.

"I'm ok. I don't need a doctor. I already know what's wrong with me." She sobbed

Suddenly, it all clicked in Peyton's mind. The nausea, the vomiting, the tears. "You're pregnant" she stated

Haley looked up quickly, not believing that Peyton had figured it out. Then she realised that the reason she hadn't told anyone yet was because of Brooke. She looked at her friend, worried about he reaction to the news.

"I'm sorry" she said to Brooke feeling guilty, like she was rubbing her face in it.

Brooke just pulled Haley to her and stroked her hair softly. "Don't you ever apologise for this Haley. You are having a baby and that is the most wonderful thing in the world. I'm happy for you." She said now crying herself, caught up in the moment.

"I just… it's not fair on you Brooke." Haley whispered.

"No. It's not fair. But that doesn't mean I'm not excited for you. I get to be an Aunt again. And who knows, one day maybe I will be a mother. Luke and I talked a little last night and thought we would look into adoption." She said smiling at the sobbing girl before her.

The girls were brought out of their moment when they heard crying. They both looked to see their blonde friend sobbing like a baby. "What's wrong Peyton?" asked Haley

"Nothing. It's all your fault." She said pointing to the other two. "You got me all emotional."

This made all three of them laugh and they felt so much better, pulling together for a big group hug until suddenly Haley let go and bolted for the toilet again.


	54. A Sister's Comfort

**I do not own One Tree Hill or any of its characters.**

**_Author's Note: I just reached 500 reviews and would like to thank everyone who has been reading and reviewing my story. _**

After their lunch, the six friends left the café. Brooke and Lucas went back to her place to spend time together and also to organise Lucas moving back in with her. Lucas had also offered his apartment to Haley and Nathan for the rest of the summer because he was still bound by a lease and couldn't get out of it for a few more months. That meant that they wouldn't have to burden Taylor and Jason and would have more space and freedom.

Peyton and Jake spoke to Nathan and offered to keep Levi at their place overnight. Even thought they didn't voice it, both of them wanted Nathan and Haley to have a chance to talk and spend some time alone. There was still a definite tension surrounding the couple. Haley didn't know about the little arrangement until Nathan mentioned it casually in the car. He knew he needed to discuss the 'Kendra situation' with her and they needed some space to do so.

Haley just nodded her head in agreement when told that Levi would not be home. Internally she wished that her son would be there so that she could spend her evening fussing over him and wouldn't be forced to talk to Nathan about the little bombshell he dropped earlier.

As the car pulled up out the front of Lucas' apartment, Nathan looked over at his wife who still hadn't uttered a word since they got in the car. He went to speak, but she had somehow managed to open the door and slam it before he had a chance to realise she was going. He sighed loudly, knowing tonight would be long and difficult. How could he make this up to her?

As he entered the apartment, Nathan found that Haley was cleaning up the breakfast dishes from the morning.

"Hales." He said pleadingly as he joined her in the kitchen.

"I don't want to talk about it Nathan. I don't want to think about it. Actually, I wish I didn't even know about it." She said forcefully, glaring at him to show in no uncertain terms that she was not going to give in.

"Hales." He tried again

"Nate! Would you just drop it!" she screamed as she threw the dish cloth in the sink and stormed off to their bedroom. He followed her immediately, not willing to let this fester and get worse than it already was.

"I can't believe you won't discuss this. It's important we clear everything up." He said unable to hid his frustration

Haley spun around to face him with her hands on her hips in a gesture of defiance and laughed bitterly. "You didn't seem to think it was so important when you hid it from me up until today!" she spat out unable to control her anger

Nathan, who had started to feel anger rise due to her attitude, suddenly found himself awash with guilt. She was right and she had every right to be angry with him. Even thought he had kept it from her because he didn't want to spend their time together fighting, he now knew it was a mistake. He had lied to her and that just fuelled her anger which was also tinged with an intense jealousy of Kendra. Jealousy of the woman who had made it perfectly clear that she wanted to sleep with Nathan. The woman who would now be spending a whole month alone with him.

"I didn't want to upset you." He said softly

Haley through her arms up in irritation. "It was always going to upset me Nathan, but the worst thing was you keeping it from me. That's what makes the whole situation look so bad. To get through this I need to trust you, but how can I trust you if you're already keeping things from me?"

Nathan was getting angry once again. He had been trying to protect her feelings, not keep a terrible secret. Why couldn't she just calm down and see that?

"You don't trust me? Fine!" he yelled grabbing a pear of sweats and heading for the bathroom. "I'm going for a run."

Haley sighed deeply and grabbed her keys off the dresser before making her way over to Taylor's. She had yet to catch up with her sister and needed to get away from Nathan before their argument got any worse.

* * *

A few minutes later and Haley was on her the doorstep of her former home, knocking lightly.

"Haley?" asked Taylor in surprise when she found her sister at the door. She hadn't expected to see Haley and Nathan for a couple more days.

"Hi Tay" she responded and moved inside as Taylor closed the door and then gave her a big hug. After pulling apart, Taylor dragged Haley down the hall and into the living area where Jason was sitting on the couch watching television. He got up from the couch as soon as he saw her and gave her a quick hug.

"How are you Haley?" he asked with a smile, genuinely happy to see her.

"It's nice to be back." She replied avoiding the question, but Taylor picked up on this and knew something was up.

"Is Nate here?" asked Jason as he looked past her towards the hall as if waiting for Nathan to appear.

"Um. No. He went for a run. He will probably end up at the basketball court if you wanna go find him." Haley offered hoping he would get the hint and leave her and her sister alone to talk.

"Thanks. I'll go see if I can catch up with him. I'll be back later Tay." He said before kissing his girlfriend tenderly and leaving the apartment.

Haley smiled at the interaction. "I see things are still going well for you two."

"Yeah. It's amazing. Sometimes I feel like I'm living someone else's life, you know?" she said wistfully

"So what else is news?" asked Haley as they sat together on the couch.

"Not so fast little sis. I can see you're upset about something. Now spill" demanded Taylor

"It's nothing. I'll get over it." Said Haley dismissively just causing her sister to glare and wait for a more satisfactory response.

"It's Nate!" she exclaimed

"I thought you guys sorted everything out. You were so miserable for months Haley and I don't want to see you that way again."

"No. It's not that. He's been amazing the last couple of months and we've been happier than ever, it's just…" Haley said trailing off, not knowing if she could hold herself together if she had to voice her fears.

"Yeah?" Taylor prompted gently

"You know the Adidas contract?" asked Haley who received a nod from her sister. "Well, apparently they decided that they needed a woman in the campaign as well. Which means that Nathan will be in Italy for a month with another woman." Said Haley dejectedly, holding back the tears.

"Ok. Definitely not what every wife wants to hear, but I know you and you're not the jealous type. What else is getting you so riled up about this?" she asked suspiciously.

"That other woman just happens to be Kendra." Haley exclaimed a little harsher than anticipated.

Taylor's jaw dropped instantly before replying. "No. Fucking. Way!"

Haley gave her a sarcastic smile. "That's pretty much the first thought that ran through my head."

"I can't believe it. She's such a slut." Said a still shocked Taylor. Her sister had been through so much in the past year and she really didn't need the worry of knowing that man eater was going to be spending every waking hour with her husband.

"What bothers me the most is that Nathan didn't tell me until today at lunch and he only did it because he was cornered. I hate that he lied to me. What was he going to do? Wait until the ads came out for me to see them together and then say 'Oh yeah Haley, I may have forgotten to mention that I spent my month in Italy with Kendra'." cried Haley in frustration

Taylor took hold of her sister's hands. "Look Haley. He should have told you, but I can see why he didn't. He was worried about upsetting you. He loves you so much and he didn't want to hurt you. Plus, this is your family vacation. I doubt he wanted to spoil it." She reasoned.

"You're right. He never meant to hurt me and it's not his fault that they chose Cheerslut Barbie for the campaign." Haley agreed with a smirk on her face

They both giggled at the insult. "That's the spirit." Said Taylor

After throwing a few more insults around Haley quietened before looking Taylor in the eyes. "Should I be worried Tay?"

Taylor looked at her sympathetically. "I'm not gonna lie to you. That girl will probably spend the majority of her time trying to get into Nathan's pants."

Haley looked at her sister with a worried face.

"I used to be just like her, so I know how women like her operate." continued Taylor.

"Oh God." groaned Haley in defeat

Taylor put her hand on Haley's arm in a gesture of comfort. "BUT, I also know Nathan. He would never cheat on you Hales. From what you've told me, she's been trying to sleep with him for over a year and hasn't gotten anywhere."

"I know. I feel guilty for having these doubts, but I can't help it." She said softly

"Look, I know we James girls are practically perfect in every way" Taylor said with a smirk "but we are human. So it's natural for you to feel this way Haleybub."

Haley brightened when she heard her childhood nickname, feeling better with her sister's reassurances. "Ok. No more talk about Kendra. Tell me what's been happening with you."

Taylor's face broke out in a huge grin. "I'm pregnant." She said excitedly

Haley squealed with delight. "Oh Tay. I'm so happy for you."

"Thanks. Now Levi is going to have another friend to play with. They won't be too far apart in age. Only a couple of years." She said animatedly, thinking about their children being able to play together.

"Well actually, I think you're baby is going to have someone a little closer in age to play with." Said Haley with a cheeky smile

"Oh wow. You're pregnant too?" she asked before Haley nodded and they shared another embrace.

Taylor thought for a moment and then spoke. "I wish we were living closer. Then we could do all the pregnancy stuff together."

"Me too. But we can still talk on the phone all the time and discuss all the gross food cravings we're having and how fat we feel and how swollen our feet are." Said Haley looking at her sister expectantly

"Stop! Enough! Are you trying to turn me off pregnancy? Isn't it supposed to be wonderful?"

"Well for starters, it's too bad if you're turned off because it's a bit too late. But seriously, it is wonderful. The feeling of having a little piece of you and the person you love growing inside of you is indescribable. It definitely makes up for the other stuff." Haley said holding her hand on her sister's belly.

Taylor looked much happier, but still a little unconvinced.

"There's also the added bonus of being hornier than you've ever been in your life." Added Haley with a smirk, knowing this would bring her sister around.

"Really?" Well considering it's me we're talking about, all I can say is Jason better get his strength up!"

The two women found themselves laughing hysterically and unable to stop, eventually falling from the couch and rolling on the floor still in fits of laughter. It was exactly what Haley needed. Some bonding time with her sister and a distraction from the worries and fears that plagued her.


	55. Early Departure

**I do not own One Tree Hill or any of its characters.**

**Author's Note: I will be going away for a few days so I may not be able to update regularly until next week. Please review and let me know what you think of all the new developments.**

Haley and Taylor were still rolling around and acting like children on the living room floor when Jason and Nathan walked in. Haley froze immediately and quickly whispered to her sister "I haven't told him yet, ok?"

"Look who I found" announced Jason oblivious to any of the underlying tension in the room.

Nathan looked at his wife a little uncertain of how she would behave towards him. He was pleasantly surprised when she raised herself up from the floor and walked towards him with a slight smile. He opened his arms for her and she walked straight into them, happy to be enveloped by his larger form. They stayed in that warm embrace for a few minutes, sharing a silent apology for the angry words that had been exchanged earlier. They pulled apart to see that Jason and Taylor had left them to make tea and coffee in the kitchen.

"So, Nate. We have some news." Announced Jason as they all sat down at the kitchen table.

"Ok"

"We're having a baby" he said with grinning from ear to ear as he clasped onto his girlfriends hand.

Nathan smiled, happy for the couple. "That's great guys." He said before giving Haley's hand a squeeze, knowing she also shared in his excitement for the soon to be parents.

"I know. It wasn't planned, but we're so thrilled. It's going to be great." replied Jason who was unable to stop smiling.

"It is man. I mean when you first hold you child in your arms, it's like up until that moment you weren't complete and you didn't even know it. I don't know what I'd do without Levi."

Haley smiled at her husband. His words were so heartfelt that she couldn't wait until later that evening when she would tell him that they were expecting their second child.

"Sounds like maybe you're ready for another, Nathan." Taylor teased, seeing how happy Haley was.

"I wouldn't say that" Nathan replied with a chuckle

Haley's heart stopped for a moment and she froze as his words washed over her. Had she really heard him correctly? Did Nathan really just say that he didn't want another baby?

Taylor glanced quickly at her sister then at Nathan who was oblivious to the effect of his comment.

Jason also had no idea and asked "You don't want anymore kids?" in an incredulous tone. He knew how happy Nathan was with Levi and how much he loved him.

"Of course I do. I'd love to have many more, but we're still young. We had Levi when we were so young and we still have a chance to experience a few more things before we have any more babies." Said Nathan, sure that his wife would agree with him. They hadn't discussed when they wanted to have more children so Haley had no idea he felt this way.

Taylor got a little defensive knowing that his statements were breaking her heart. "Who cares how young you were. You were happy. That's all that matters."

"I know. It's just that my career is so crazy at the moment and that means we already have trouble finding time to spend together as a family. Another baby would just add more pressure on both of us, especially Hales because I wouldn't be around enough to help out. I don't regret Levi for a second, but I know that Haley had plans to go to college and she's had to put them off. If we have more children now she may never go back. Haley is so smart and she is destined for greater things than being a housewife." Nathan sighed a little in frustration. He didn't know why he felt the need to defend himself. It was irrelevant at that time anyway. "Why are we talking about this anyway? You guys are the one's having the baby, not us. We should be celebrating."

Haley had managed to get away from the table, unseen by Nathan and made her way to the bathroom where she sank to the floor and sobbed. So much of what Nathan said had hurt her. She was heartbroken to think that Nathan thought of what she did as being 'just a housewife'. Sure, she hoped to do other things in the future, but she felt that looking after her child, and soon, children was very rewarding. Out of all the problems they'd had, and there were plenty, Haley never would have guessed that Nathan wouldn't be happy about her pregnancy. Everything was spiralling out of control and she felt as thought there was nothing she could do to stop it.

With Haley being so upset, Taylor told Nathan that she would be staying the night so that the sisters could bond and catch up. Although a little disappointed at not getting to spend a night alone with her, Nathan understood and decided to ask if Jason wanted to come over for a few drinks and to watch some basketball.

* * *

"Aren't they adorable" sighed Peyton as she and her husband watched Jenny and Levi who had fallen asleep together on Jenny's kiddie couch after a busy day of playing and watching movies together. Despite their age difference, the two became inseparable whenever left to their own devices.

"Yeah. They certainly are becoming the best of friends. I think it's good for them, because Jenny doesn't have that many kids to play with and Levi gets to watch and learn from an older child." Jake told his wife

"I can't wait until Elizette is a little older and can play with her sister. I always wished I'd had brothers and sisters. Lots of them." She said smiling at Jake.

"Me too. I hated being an only child." He replied. "Peyt. Do you want to have more?" he asked seriously

"Um. Yeah. But not right now." She said worried he was ready for another baby. She loved being a mother, but looking after a toddler and a baby was exhausting enough already.

Jake chuckled at his wife's reaction. "I didn't mean now Peyton. We've got our hands full as it is, but I've been thinking about it, a lot actually, and I would really to love to have a few more kids later on."

"A few? How many is a few?" she asked cheekily

"I think six kids is my limit."

"Six?" exclaimed a shocked Peyton. "You want four more kids?"

"Maybe. I'd settle for two more."

"Now that I can do. We can reassess the number afterwards." She replied kissing her husband sweetly. "Now how about we put these two to bed so we can practice for all the kids I'm supposedly having in the future." She said as she stood up and offered her hand.

* * *

Lucas exited that bathroom after having a relaxing shower and could smell an amazing aroma coming from the kitchen.

"What's this?" he asked as he entered the kitchen to find Brooke busy cooking up a storm.

"Dinner." She replied nonchalantly.

Lucas was very surprised. In their short marriage it had always been a joke about how Brooke had no culinary skills whatsoever and it was safer just to order take out than let her near a stove, but here she was looking like a professional chef.

"I can see that. But when did you learn to cook?" he asked smirking

Brooke glared at her husband. "I'll have you know that I have been working at it and am now quite a good little housewife, Mr Scott. I have a total of six dishes I can make that are not only 100 percent edible, they taste delicious." She gloated said triumphantly, sticking her nose up in the air slightly.

"Well I normally wouldn't believe you, but by the smell of it, I can tell that whatever you're cooking is going to be amazing. What is it?" he asked

"It's something I like to call 'Wait and See'" she said turning her back to him so that could attend to the food on the stove.

"Is there anything I can do?" he asked approaching his wife slowly.

"Nope. It's all under control. There's nothing I need from you at the moment." She said distractedly, trying to stir the pot without its contents splashing all over the stovetop.

Lucas took that as a challenge and slowly moved her hair to one side of her neck. He leant forward and placed soft butterfly kisses from her ear down to the base of her neck, teasing her and waiting to see how long she could hold out before turning around and giving into him.

Brooke loved every second of what her husband was doing to her. It took strength she didn't know she had to stop herself from moaning as his kisses soon became hot and wet, reaching her shoulder blade. His hands ran sensually up and down her arms before he pulled the straps of her singlet down to kiss her shoulders.

Lucas knew he was winning when she started to lean into him and the stirring movement of her hand slowed down and eventually stopped when she could no longer concentrate on the task at hand. She quickly spun around and captured his lips with hers. Their kiss started off slow and sensual before their passion won out and their tongues explored each others mouths. Lucas reached behind her and turned the stove off, which finally caught his wife's attention.

"Luke. It's not done." She moaned as he continued to kiss her neck.

"It is now. I'm hungry for something else." He said before lifting her onto the kitchen counter roughly.

Brooke made no protest as he quickly divested them of their clothes and took her right there among the chopped vegetables and kitchen utensils.

* * *

Haley spent a restless night unable rid her head of the painful thoughts that were clouding her mind. Taylor decided to send the night in the guestroom with her sister, telling Jason that they were having something similar to a sleepover. She also lay awake most of the night, refusing to sleep until Haley did. She lay there, holding Haley, stroking her hair, whispering soothing words until the younger sister finally gave into slumber.

The next morning Haley decided to go home and discuss the situation with her husband. She couldn't keep the pregnancy from him any longer, no matter how unhappy she thought he would be about it. As she opened the front door and entered Luke's apartment, Haley noticed two suitcases sitting in the hallway. Her heart stopped, frozen in fear for a moment before she called out anxiously to her husband, who she found packing a smaller suitcase in the bedroom.

"Haley. I've been trying to call you for hours!" he exclaimed upon seeing her.

"I'm sorry. I had my phone off last night and didn't realise." She said distractedly watching him place his toiletries in the suitcase. "Nathan? What's going on? Why are your suitcases in the hall?"

Nathan pulled her towards him and they both sat on the edge of the bed. "That's why I was trying to call you. I got a call very early this morning. Something has come up in Italy with the photo shoot locations and they've had to reschedule." He said before averting his gaze. "I'm sorry Hales. My flight is in a couple of hours."

"So you're leaving?" she asked unable to believe this was actually happening.

Nathan took hold of her hands. "I don't want to, but what else can I do?" he pleaded, knowing she wouldn't be ok with this.

Haley stood up and glared at him. "Oh. I don't know. SAY NO!" she yelled loudly. "They said you could have the summer, Nathan."

"I know, but that wasn't in the contract Hales. They were doing me a favour by working the schedule around me. Things have changed now and they can't do that any more. I can't break the contract."

Haley sat back down resignedly. "I can't believe this." She sighed holding her head with her hands. She looked up slowly before asking hopefully "It's still just for a month right?"

Nathan looked down at his hand which was fidgeting in his lap. Haley would be even more upset when he told her the rest of the news.

"How long, Nathan?" she asked, her voice raised again

"The rest of the summer" he whispered looking up to meet her angry gaze.

All Haley could think about was the fact that her husband would now be spending almost nine weeks alone in Italy with Kendra, instead of home with her and Levi… and their unborn baby. How could she tell him the news now?

Nathan pulled her close, hugging her to his chest tightly. "I'm sorry baby. There's nothing I could do." He said, feeling her tears through his shirt.

Haley pulled away quickly, standing up from the bed and backing away from him. "Whatever Nathan. I'm sick of hearing that you're sorry!"

"Damn it Hales! I don't know what else to do. I'm kind of in a tight spot here." He said in frustration, not wanting to have to pick between disappointing his family and ruining his good name.

Haley snatched her keys out of her bag and turned to leave. Nathan grabbed her wrist roughly. "Jesus Haley. Why are you being such a bitch about this? It's not like I planned it!" he yelled just a few inches from her face and regretted it immediately, flashing back to the numerous times he had seen his father yell at his mother.

"Let go of me" she said calmly through clenched teeth.

Nathan's face softened, but his hand still held on to her.

"Let go of me NOW!" she screamed at him, jerking her arm away from him as he loosened his hold.

Haley stormed off before stopping near the front door and turning around. "Be sure to give Kendra my love." She spat out snidely before opening the door and slamming it shut.

Nathan ran out the door shouting after her. "Haley! HALEY!", but it was too late, she had already reached her car and drove off without looking back.


	56. Unresolved

**I do not own One Tree Hill or any of its characters.**

_**Author's Note: I hope you enjoy this chapter eventhought it's a little short. I only had a small amount of time to get out one more update before i go away. Unfortunately it looks like I wont have another update up for 2 or 3 days. Please review and let me know what you would like to happen, I always like to consider what the readers have to say.**_

Brooke opened her eyes to find Lucas propped up on one elbow watching her sleep.

"Good morning" he said with a warm smile.

"Morning baby" she replied in a sleepy voice. "How long have you been awake?"

"Long enough to watch you sleeping peacefully… well except for the incessant snoring" he joked, which earned him a rough shove from his wife. She pushed him a little harder than she realised and sent him rolling off the bed, landing with a thud on the floor. Brooke laughed hysterically as her husband let out a strange little squeak and then grumbled faintly. He in turn decided to teach her a lesson and stood up, pouncing on top of her and immediately finding her most sensitive area to tickle. She begged him to stop, between fits of girlish giggles.

After a few more pleading words from Brooke, Lucas stopped his attack and looked deeply into her eyes as she lay underneath him. She smiled and reached up tenderly placing a hand on his cheek. "I love you" she whispered. Lucas kissed her lovingly before replying "I love you too."

"Luke. There's something I want to talk to you about." She said a little nervously.

He could see that whatever it was, would be serious and moved off her, laying on his side. She took the same position so that they were facing each other with their heads on their pillows and their fingers entwined. "What is it?" he asked cautiously.

"Well, the other night we talked about how we wanted to have kids… I mean adopt kids." She corrected herself quickly, knowing it was still a little bit of a sensitive issue for both of them.

"Yeah. I remember." He said evenly, not knowing where the conversation was going. Had she changed her mind and decided she didn't want to adopt?

"Did you…" she faltered a little feeling extremely nervous.

"What, Brooke?" he asked urging her to finish what she was saying.

She bit her bottom lip before continuing. "Did you have a time frame in mind?" she sighed lightly, feeling a little anxious. "When would you like to adopt?"

Lucas looked at her thoughtfully. He hadn't expected to be having this conversation so quickly after their reconciliation, but was glad that Brooke wanted to discuss things and get them out in the open. It was best that they knew what the other was thinking.

"I'm not sure. I haven't really thought too much about it yet. I didn't want to get too far ahead of myself in case you weren't ready to talk about it yet." He admitted

"After the… after what happened, I felt so empty inside. Like I'd lost a part of myself. As you know, I've never really thought of myself as the motherly instinct kind of girl. But ever since I found out that the choice of being a mother was taken away from me, my mind has been filled with thoughts of children and what life would be like with them."

"Ok" said Luke tentatively, still unsure as to what she was getting at.

"I want a baby Luke. I want to look into adoption right away… if that's what you want." She added shyly

Lucas grinned at her confession. He really hadn't expected Brooke to feel this way. "That sounds perfect to me. I can't wait to be a dad and I know you are going to be an amazing mother Brooke Scott."

* * *

Nathan sat in the passenger lounge waiting for the call for passengers to board his flight. He had been worried about missing his flight altogether because he had waited at Luke's apartment until the very last possible moment for Haley to return… but she hadn't. He had called all of their friends to see if they had heard from her, but none of them had. She left her phone at the apartment, so he had no way of getting in contact with her.

It was breaking his heart to leave his wife with things the way they were. This was hard on him too. He loved his family and if he had been dreading a month apart, nine weeks was killing him. The same way seeing the hurt and disappointment on Haley's face had killed him inside. He felt like he was always disappointing her, even when he tried so hard not to.

* * *

Haleyhad drivento one of her favourite spots near the University and parked by the quiet and peaceful lake where she could process everything that was happening in her life. She realised that she had overreacted slightly with Nathan. She had been so upset about his hesitance for another baby and the change in his travel plans that she had taken out all of her frustrations on him.

She knew it wasn't his fault that he had to leave early, and he had no idea about the baby and how his comments about not being ready for another one had hurt her. So after calming down and thinking things through, Haley realised that she didn't want him to leave without talking to him and telling him about the baby. It wouldn't be fair to tell him over the phone and she couldn't wait until her returned from Italy, because by then she would be nearly four months pregnant and already showing.

She jumped in her car and headed for the airport hoping desperately that she would make to him in time.

* * *

Peyton smiled as she heard high pitched giggles coming from the lounge room. She had decided to get a start on preparing lunch, so she asked Jake to put in a movie for Jenny and Levi and keep an eye on Elizette while she made some sandwiches for them all.

Finishing up, she stood in the door way and watched them all sitting on the couch together. Jake was in the middle with Jenny on one side and Levi on the other. They both snuggled into his side. He had the baby resting in his arms sleeping peacefully despite the noise around her. She had always been a good baby.

Peyton thought back to the call she had received from a clearly distraught Nathan earlier. He had told her briefly about their argument and asked if she minded keeping Levi until Haley arrived to pick up their son… whenever that would be.

The blonde worried for her friend, knowing that the stress would not be good for Haley or her baby. But all she could do was hope that the couple talked before he left and sorted this mess out. It could only get worse if left unresolved for such a long time while they were apart.

* * *

Haley ran thorough the airport doors looking for information on Nathan's flight to Rome. She found a large screen listing all the arrivals and departures, discovering his flight was about to board at Gate 14, which of course happened to be one of the furthest away from where she was. All she could do was hope that her tired body could make it to him in time.

Luckily for Haley there was only a small line of people waiting to go through security and she was cleared within minutes. Her feet pounded on the carpeted floor and her heart thumped inside of her chest. People stared at the distraught young woman racing through the airport as she made her way past them, colliding with one man who shouted obscenities at her retreating form.

Then she saw it. Gate 14. Her pace slowed as she tried to catch her breath and looked at her surroundings. Unfortunately, Nathan was nowhere in sight. Actually, there was no one there at all except for a staff member sitting behind a desk. Haley quickly made her way over to enquire about the flight.

"I'm sorry Miss. The flight hasn't taken off, but all the passengers have boarded which means there's nothing I can do" said the woman trying to sound sincere, but failing miserably. It was quite obvious that she didn't really care if the distressed young woman needed to see someone on that plane or not.

Haley didn't even reply, instead she made her way to one of the empty seats and dropped into it unceremoniously. Burying her head in her hands, she let the tears fall as sobs wracked her petit body.


	57. Seduction 101

**I do not own One Tree Hill or any of its characters.**

**Author's Note: I'm back! I hope the chapter was worth the wait. Please review.**

The drive back to Luke's apartment was a blur to Haley. If she really thought about it she probably shouldn't have driven in such a state. She had cried her heart out for a good fifteen minutes in the passenger lounge at the airport, watching out the large glass window as the plane took off, taking her husband with it.

Haley knew she had to pick up her son, but needed a few hours on her own to get herself together. It wasn't healthy for her son to be surrounded by such tension and negative energy. She entered the apartment and slowly made her way the bedroom where she collapsed onto the bed. Rolling over to lay on her husband's side of the bed, she noticed an envelope on the pillow with her name on it. Haley felt a slight rush of relief roll over her knowing that Nathan had left her a note before leaving.

She opened the envelope and pulled out the letter as well as another folded piece of paper. She unfolded it to reveal a printed receipt for two return airline tickets to Rome booked over the internet. Haley smiled slightly at the gesture. She opened the letter and read what her husband had written in his messy writing.

_Dear Hales,_

_I love you and I'm so sorry that I had to leave. Please know that I didn't want this. I was looking forward to spending the summer with you and Levi and our friends. I hate the way we left things today and I've realized that I can't spend nine weeks without you. Without holding you. Without kissing you. Without making love to you._

_I have bought two tickets to Italy so that you and Levi can visit during the shoot. I really want my family with me at least for a little while. I know you are upset with me, but I hope you will use the tickets to see me. _

_I'm sorry for everything._

_I love you. Always and Forever._

_Nathan_

Haley hadn't realized she had been crying until she saw the ink run due to the tears that fell from her eyes. Even though she was still disappointed with the situation, she was so relieved to know that Nathan was just as upset about being separated for so long and wanted them to visit him. She lay back on the pillow and held his letter to her chest, falling into peaceful slumber.

Peyton knocked lightly on the front door while resting Levi on her hip. He seemed excited to be out the front of Luke's apartment, his temporary home for the summer. Peyton was going to just keep Levi for another night, but was worried about her friend and decided to see if she was back at the apartment. After a minute she heard soft footsteps approaching the door which was opened by Haley who had obviously been sleeping.

"Peyton. Hi. I'm sorry I haven't been around to get Levi." Haley said as she took her son who was struggling strongly to get to his mother. He latched his arms around her neck and rested his head in the crook of her neck. Haley felt a pang of guilt for leaving him with friends for so long. It was obvious that he had missed his mother.

"Don't worry about it. I'm more concerned about how you're doing. Nathan called earlier and told me what was going on. We were really worried about you Hales." Peyton said sincerely as they sat down on the couch.

Haley sighed and stroked her son's head as he began to fall asleep in her arms. "I know I shouldn't have just run off like I did, but I just needed to get out of here."

"Where'd you go?" asked Peyton cautiously

"I just went and sat by the lake to think. I felt like my life was spinning out of control and I couldn't do anything to stop it." She smiled at her friend who was obviously still worried about her. "I'm fine, Peyt."

"You don't look fine. You look like you've been crying for hours." She said bluntly.

"I did cry for hours. I went to the airport to try and catch Nathan before he left. I wanted to tell him face to face about the baby. But I was too late. I got there just before the plane took off." She said sadly, remember how upset she had been.

"Well how does that make you ok?" asked Peyton skeptically.

"I came home to find a letter from Nathan. He bought two tickets for Levi and I to visit him in Rome. I still wish we could have spoken before he left, but at least I know everything he wanted to say to me." She said with a slight smile to reassure her friend that she was ok.

Haley stood up and carried her sleeping son into his room and tucked him into his cot before kissing his forehead sweetly and returning to her friend in the living area.

"Haley, why haven't you told Nathan about the baby? I know at first you were worried about Brooke's reaction, but now that you know she's happy for you, I would have thought you'd tell your husband" Peyton asked curiously

Haley's face fell a little. She had been so relieved that Nathan wanted her to visit him in Italy that she had completely forgotten about his hesitance to have another child. The sinking feeling was returning again.

"It's along story, but basically Nathan doesn't want another child yet." She said sadly

"How do you know?" asked Peyton who was surprised by the revelation

"Well, we were over with Taylor and Jason and they announced that they were having a baby." Peyton raised her eyebrow in surprise. It was weird to think of Taylor being a mother, seeing as though until recently she had still acted like a child herself. "The conversation got on to the topic of us having another baby and Nathan said he didn't want another one for a while. He said we had Levi too young and we still have a lot of things to do for ourselves first."

Peyton knew that must have hurt Haley deeply. Being pregnant was supposed to be an amazing and exciting time for both parents. To know that your husband wasn't ready for the baby must be incredibly painful.

"I'm sorry Hales. But I'm sure once you tell him, he'll change his tune. You know how much he adores Levi and he will love this baby just as much." She said trying to cheer Haley up.

* * *

Nathan arrived in Italy feeling a little jetlagged. He hailed a cab and went to his hotel which was one of the largest in the city. After checking in he went up to his suite and tipped the bellboy who had brought up his luggage. 

The suite was elegantly decorated with cream, maroon and gold. It had a king size four poster with maroon netting surrounding it. There was a couch and coffee table facing the television and stereo system sitting on shelves on the wall. There were two doors leading to a walk in robe and an ensuite with spa bath, shower and toilet. After inspecting the room, Nathan unpacked his suitcases which he found quite depressing as it cemented the fact that he would be spending a long time in this room without his family.

He ran the bath and turned on the jets so that he could enjoy a relaxing spa. Once finished Nathan went back into his room and lay down on the bed with the cordless phone, planning to call Haley. But just as he was about to dial out he realized that he didn't know what the time difference was. He didn't want to call if it was the middle of the night in Chapel Hill and wake up Haley and Levi. So he just put the phone down and let his head fall against the pillows, his exhausted body soon falling asleep.

A few hours later Nathan woke up to sound of his phone ringing from the bedside table. It took him a few moments to take in his surroundings and figure out where he was and sighed as he realized it was not where he wanted to be.

He reached over and looked at the screen of his cell which displayed a picture of Haley and Levi poking their tongues out to the camera. A smile lit up his face as he realized it was his wife calling. He didn't know how she was feeling towards him at that moment, but he didn't care if she was still mad, just as long as he got to hear her voice and talk with her.

"Hello." He said tentatively

"Hi" replied Haley with equal hesitance.

"I'm sorry" he blurted out involuntarily.

"I'm sorry too babe. I shouldn't have walked out like that."

"It's ok. I understand." He said sincerely. "Did you get my letter?" he asked hopefully

"Yes I did. Thank you." She said with a smile.

"So you'll come?"

"Of course we will. I'm going to be missing you like crazy so I wouldn't pass up a chance to come and see you Nate. How was your flight?"

"It was ok. I have a little jet lag, but I'm feeling pretty good." He said

"I came to see you off, but I was too late" she said barely above a whisper.

Nathan was silent for a moment. His heart swelled knowing that she had tried to see him before he left. "I love you." He said in a voice that was confident and passionate

"I love you too. I've gotta go because Levi just woke up. Call me soon?" she asked

"I'll call you everyday. I promise." He assured her.

Nathan flipped the phone closed and was about to lay back down before hearing a woman's voice at the end of the bed. He looked up to see Kendra had entered his suite without him noticing. He hated to admit it, but she looked stunning. Her long black hair was straightened and reached the middle of her back. She had on a black leather skirt that sat two inches above her knees, with black thigh high boots and a red tank top that showed off her ample bosom.

"The wife checking up on you?" she asked with a smirk.

"Yes actually. And 'The wife' has a name. It's Haley." He said annoyed with Kendra's attitude towards his wife.

"No need to get touchy. I just came in to say hi and let you know that the shoot for tomorrow has been set back until the next day." She said with cheeky smile

"Oh. Ok. Thanks. Guess I will see you then." He said dismissively, feeling slightly uncomfortable with a beautiful woman, who was not his wife, in his bedroom.

"So how are you feeling? Recovered from your jet lag yet?" she asked

"Yeah. I'm feeling great actually. I think I slept it off." He replied and watched as her smile grew.

"Great. Well I'll see you at 9:00 then."

"What?"

"There are a bunch of us going out tonight. It's a bit of a get to know each other thing. Just the crew and some of the executives. They want us to be there. So, come get me at about 8:45. I'm in the suite next door." She said before walking out the door, not giving him a chance to object. Nathan's mind raced. He just didn't feel right going out drinking with Kendra, when he knew what she wanted from him and how Haley felt about her. But he didn't want to be on the outs with the crew before the shoot even started. He'd just have to suck it up and try to avoid Kendra as much as possible.

* * *

Kendra entered her suite and sat down on the edge of the bed. She looked at the outfit she had chosen for tonight's outing. It was sexy and revealing and she knew that Nathan would approve. She had so much more to offer than his small town boring wife and was determined to show him what it felt like to be with a real woman. She would rock his world and make him forget all about his precious little Haley. It would take a little bit of time and strategy, but soon enough, he wouldn't be able to resist her. 

Kendra couldn't help imagining what it would be like to be with Nathan. She had wanted him for so long now and this was her opportunity to take him. She unzipped her boots and pulled them off before lying back down on the bed. Her hands wandered down to lift her skirt before her hand found its way inside her panties. She slowly began circling her clit with her finger, imagining Nathan's soft tongue in its place. She envisioned his rough hands exploring her entire body as she kissed him passionately. She would kiss and bite his neck, marking him… marking her territory. He would enter her slowly, filling her up completely. They would thrust together, fucking each other wildly until they both came in a tangled sweaty heap.

She gasped as she felt the first wave of her orgasm hit her. It wasn't unusual for her to use Nathan as her fantasy while masturbating, but knowing that he was in the next room and that she would soon have him in her bed, made it all the more intense.

Once her breathing had slowed down, Kendra rolled over to her side and snuggled into the pillow with a smile on her face. "Nathan Scott, you'll soon be mine."


	58. Can a leopard change its spots?

**do not own One Tree Hill or any of its characters.**

It had been almost three weeks since Nathan left for Italy and Haley found that although she was missing him deeply, it hadn't been as terrible as they thought it would be. Nathan had kept his promise and called her every single day to talk. They would discuss what was happening in Chapel Hill, with their friends, and what funny things Levi had managed to get up to that day.

Haley asked about his work and what he had been doing. She had always thought that modeling and filming television ads would be glamorous, but according to Nathan it was the most boring thing he had been subjected to. He even made the call that he'd rather be in school than standing around all day waiting for everyone to be ready to take some damn pictures or film a scene. Haley laughed at his complaints, making comments that he was turning into a 'diva'. This always elicited a full laugh from him and the sound brought a genuine smile to her lips. She had always loved his laugh.

At times, if the situation permitted, they found themselves engaging in phone sex. At first Haley felt a little ridiculous describing her sexual acts to her husband over the phone, but she could tell how excited he got and that he really enjoyed it, so she let her guard down and soon found that she looked forward to it too. It made it easier to spend the nights alone without his warm body next to her.

The one thing they did not talk about during their lengthy conversations was Kendra. Occasionally Nathan would mention her when talking about work, but he knew how uncomfortable it made Haley, so he avoided bringing her up where possible. Haley was dying to ask about her. Ask if they ever hung out, outside of work, but she couldn't bring herself to. She felt too pathetic acting like the stereotypical jealous wife.

She normally didn't even think about the gorgeous cheerleader, but unfortunately her last conversation with Nathan had been cut short when she heard Kendra's voice calling to him. She could hear her saying something about the director wanting them to re-shoot a scene. Nathan had apologized for having to end the call and asked if she was ok, knowing that she had heard Kendra in the background. Haley simply pretended there was nothing wrong and got off the phone as soon as possible.

Haley looked into the mirror on the dresser in the bedroom where she had been brushing her hair while on the phone.

"God, you're pathetic Haley. You trust your husband so stop letting Kendra get you so upset!" she said to herself before getting into bed and trying to sleep despite the unnerving thoughts running through her head.

* * *

Nathan had been on set for about three hours and they were just about to wrap up for the night. He noticed Kendra standing by the make up trailer, pulling some clothes out of a large bag. She seemed to be struggling, like she'd packed too much and now couldn't get it out.

"What are you doing?" he asked with a smirk as he noticed her getting frustrated

"I need to get changed, but my bag is pulling a mary poppins on me." She huffed, pouting like a child. Nathan looked at her strangely. "You know, Mary Poppins had that bottomless bag that fit an endless amount of crap in it?"

"Nope. Never saw it." He shrugged.

Kendra gasped in shock. "Did you have a deprived childhood or something?"

"No." he laughed. "I was quite privileged actually."

"Nathan Scott. I don't care how much money you had. If your parents never had you watch

Mary Poppins, you were severely underprivileged." She said with a serious tone and straight face.

"Well, we'll just have to ask the hotel to get it for us, won't we?" he chuckled

Kendra clapped her hands together in a way that reminded him of Brooke when she was excited about something. "You bet your ass we do." She said before linking her arm with his and walking over to their trailers.

Nathan had spent a great deal of time with Kendra over the past few weeks and discovered that she was quite different to how he originally perceived her to be. Granted, she had come across way too strong and flirted shamelessly in the beginning, but once they started working together each day, she had toned it down and he actually found she was great company. And good company was something you definitely needed when you were on set for up to ten hours a day, including around eight hours of standing around waiting for something to happen.

They had actually become friends and often grabbed a bite to eat at the end of each day. Sometimes they would hit a few clubs with some of the crew members and sometimes they would just watch a movie in one of their suites. He was now fairly confident that she had no intention of trying to take their relationship any further. She'd had many chances to make a move on him and hadn't so even though he felt guilty knowing that Haley wouldn't approve, he knew nothing would happen and found comfort in having a familiar face around in a foreign country.

"You wanna go to Room 99 tonight?" she asked referring to one of their favorite clubs.

Nathan knew he should probably just stay in tonight. He had been out nearly every evening for the past week. There was always some one getting a group together to hit the clubs, and Kendra was always ready for some fun. But what would he do if he stayed in his room? Haley was out for dinner and he had seen nearly every movie the hotel offered.

"Sure. But I didn't bring a change of clothes" he said

She waved him off dismissively. "Don't be an idiot Nathan. You look hot in anything you wear." She said without looking at him. He felt himself blush, a little uneasy with the comment as it was the first time she had flirted in a long time. He let it slide and decided to take it as a friendly compliment.

"Ok. Well I'll wait out here while you get changed." He replied

"She turned and smiled brightly at him before entering her trailer to change quickly so they could all head out for a fun evening.

Once she entered the trailer, her smile disappeared. She was getting so god damned tired of playing the friend game. It took so much energy to put on the bubbly girl next door act and stop herself from jumping him. She was sick of talking about his stupid wife and child and pretending like she actually gave a shit about them or what they were up to or how much he was missing them. They would be visiting him in a week and she knew she had to make her move tonight, before it became too late.

* * *

Lucas opened the front door to find Haley and Levi had arrived for dinner. He worried about them being alone with Nathan gone, so he and Brooke would have them over for dinner along with the Jagielski's at least twice a week.

"Hey Luke. Sorry we're late. Levi was a bit of terror tonight." She said rolling her eyes as Levi reached out for his Uncle Luke. She watched as Luke happily hugged his nephew and doted over him like he always did.

"God, you're whipped!" she said before walking past him and entering the kitchen where she found Brooke and Peyton serving up the food.

"Hales. You're here!" exclaimed Brooke who ran around to hug her friend. She had also been concerned about Haley and Nathan being apart for so long and was determined to make sure Haley had a good time while she was in Chapel Hill.

"Hi Brooke. Hi Peyton." She said hugging them both. "Where are the kids?" she asked the blonde.

"They're out the back with Jake. Jenny was driving us nuts, asking when Levi was coming, so he decided to distract her with the swing outside.

Haley went to the kitchen window which looked out onto the decent sized courtyard out the back. She watched as Jake and Luke sat on the grass with Elizette and Jenny and Levi explored the flower beds, getting themselves filthy. They did the same thing every time they came here and now Haley knew to bring a change of clothes for her son.

"They're becoming the best of friends aren't they?" Peyton said to Haley as she joined her at the window.

"Yeah. I just wish we didn't have to separate them at the end of the summer." She replied with a sigh.

"Yeah. Me too." Said Peyton who gave her a quick hug which was interrupted by Brooke pulling them apart so she could open the window and yell out to her husband and Jake that dinner was ready.

Haley and Peyton just laughed and helped Brooke carry the plates to the table.

During dinner, they shared light conversation while keeping an eye on the two toddlers who always managed to wear more food than they ate.

"How's Nate?" asked Brooke

"He's good. He complains about the work, but I know he enjoys getting to see the sights. I can't wait to see them myself." She replied enthusiastically.

"I bet he can't wait until next week when you guys arrive." Jake said

"Yeah. We're both really excited. I know it will only have been a month, but I just really miss him."

Luke, who was sitting next to her, squeezed her leg under the table for support. He knew how hard it was for her being away from his brother and he had been trying his best to keep her occupied and happy. She was spending a lot of time with him and Brooke, and he loved having his best friend and nephew around so much. It made him realize how much he missed them when they were in LA.

Haley smiled at Luke, thanking him silently for his support. He had been a godsend and she loved that even though they had spend a long time apart, their relationship hadn't changed. They were still Haley and Lucas, best friends forever. She did feel a little guilty, though. She hadn't told him that she was pregnant. She knew that he spoke to Nathan regularly and didn't want him to have to keep such a big secret from him, so she made Brooke and Peyton promise to keep the secret to themselves.

They enjoyed the rest of their dinner, before the parents headed off home to put their children to bed. Haley lay awake thinking about how amazing her time in Italy with Nathan would be. She knew he would have to work during the day, but he had a few days off and the nights were theirs too. She just hoped she didn't have to have too much contact with Kendra. As soon as the thought entered her head, she had a feeling of dread come over her. It was intense and made her feel like she would throw up. That woman was trouble and she couldn't help but be worried about her. If only Haley knew how right she was.


	59. Let The Games Begin

**I do not own One Tree Hill or any of its characters.**

**_Author's Note: All I can say is please don't hate me after this chapter. The story needs drama. Please review and let me know what you think._**

Nathan looked around the crowded club and smiled, knowing he would have a fun night. He felt Kendra grab his hand and pull him towards a table that the other guys had decided would be theirs for the night. It was nice to hang out with some of the crew because they were pretty cool guys… well except for Cameron. He was a completely sleazy asshole who was constantly harassing the females on set. Nathan watched in interest as he tried to flirt shamelessly with Kendra, who was trying her best to be civil about brushing him off, but he never did seem to get the message.

She turned around and rolled her eyes to Nathan with a small smile, showing that she could handle Cameron's unwanted attentions.

"I'm going to dance" she said loudly over the music

"Ok. Have fun" he replied.

He watched her make her way down a few steps onto the dance floor and into the centre of the crowd. She really was gorgeous and judging by the many male heads turning her way, he wasn't the only one to notice. Nathan couldn't help but feel a little sorry for her. He knew that she thought she had to use her looks and forward nature toget any interest frommen, but the problem was that she would only beluring the wrong guys. Kendra needed to have more faith in herself and learn to accept that she was capable of attracting aman with her fun loving, easygoing personality that he had seen over the past few weeks. Maybe he could set her up with one of the nicer guys on the team.

Nathan was brought out of his thoughts when he realized that Cameron had followed her onto the dance floor. He could see that the guy was just trying to use dancing as an excuse to grope her, but she seemed to be handling herself, gently swatting his hands away from her hips and ass.

Unfortunately he really wasn't taking the hint, so Nathan decided he had better step in. He made his way to them on the dance floor sliding in front of Kendra. He turned his head to Cameron and said with a smirk "You don't mind if I cut in do you?" turning back to her before he could answer.

"Thank you" she smiled placing her arms around Nathan's neck and resting her head on his chest. He was quite taken aback, but soon realized that Cameron was still dancing next to them and assumed she was just making sure he knew he wasn't wanted. Still, he felt really uneasy in that situation, almost like he was betraying Haley. They had been dancing for a couple of songs when suddenly, before he realized what was happening, Kendra stood up on her toes and kissed him forcefully. Nathan was in total shock and that gave her a chance to part his lips and let her tongue enter his mouth.

He couldn't believe she had done that. He had been so sure that she had changed and wanted nothing from him but friendship. Once Nathan got hold of his senses, he roughly pushed her away from him and glared at her before stalking over to the bar.

* * *

Haley sighed in frustration, it was mid afternoon and she was trying to get her son to sleep. For three nights in a row Levi had kept her up with his relentless crying. She had taken him to the doctors, but he appeared to be fine. Apparently he was having nightmares and there was nothing that anyone could do until they passed. She held her son tightly to her chest as his wailing subsided to sobs. She had been walking around, trying to soothe him for almost twenty minutes. The little boy was exhausted and she really needed to get him to sleep. Haley had eventually stopped putting him back in his cot, instead letting him sleep with her, which seemed to give him some comfort.

She remembered back to when Levi was a baby and kept her up every night. At least back then she had Nathan to help her. He was always so wonderful like that, letting her sleep when she was exhausted and tending to their baby instead.

_Flashback _

_Haley heard her baby's cries and slowly sat up and swung her legs off the bed, she picked up her robe off the floor and began to put in on when she felt Nathan's hand on her shoulder, softly pulling her back. She turned and found him smiling at her._

"_Go back to sleep Hales. I'll go check on him" he whispered_

"_No. It's ok. You have training tomorrow. I'll handle it." She said about to stand up. Suddenly she felt Nathan's strong arms encircling her waist and pulling her back down onto the bed. Her head hit the pillows and his mouth captured hers in a short sweet kiss._

"_Get some rest. You're exhausted." He whispered into her ear before getting out of bed and making his way to their son's room._

_Haley listened as her son's cried stopped almost immediately. She smiled to herself thinking of what a calming influence her husband was on their son. She loved that he wanted to look after Levijust as much as she did. It was impossible not to see the love and adoration in Nathan's eyes every time he saw his son or spoke about him._

_Nathan returned shortly after and pulled her into his arms where she fell asleep almost instantly._

_End of Flashback_

Haley was brought out of her reverie when she realized the apartment was silent. She looked down to see that Levi had finally fallen asleep. She smiled and took him back to her room, laying him gently on the bed and pulling the covers up over him. She knew she wouldn't be able to take a nap now, so she exited the room and made herself a cup of hot chocolate and sat down to watch a movie.

After about half an hour of trying to concentratethe ridiculously boring movie about a group of disfunctionl relatives, Haley felt the sudden need to talk to Nathan. She couldn't describe the feeling that came over her. It was almost like she felt the need to hold onto him as if he was drifting away and it terrified her. She picked up her phone and dialed his number at the hotel but was disappointed to find that he didn't answer. It was quite late over there and she thought he would be home.Next she rang his cell phone and waited patiently for him to pick up.

* * *

Kendra realized she had gone too far too soon and cursed herself. She shouldn't have known that he wouldn't give in to her. Now she needed to take more extreme measures to get what she wanted. The raven haired girl grabbed her bag off the table and took it into the ladies room. She felt a sudden pulse or vibration and realized it was the ringing of a phone, Nathan's phone which she had offered to put in her bag for safe keeping. She wasn't going to answer it, but realized once she saw the picture on the display that it was his pesky little wife calling. She smiled to herself knowing that this could work to her advantage.

"Hello?" she greeted casually

"Hello. Is Nathan there please?" asked Haley tentatively, a little shocked to hear another woman answering her husband's phone.

"Who is this?" asked Kendra, smirking to herself

"This is his wife, Haley. Who am I speaking with?" she asked trying to keep the jealousy and annoyance out of her voice.

"Oh. Haley." Exclaimed Kendra with blatantly fake cheeriness. "It's nice to hear from you. This is Kendra."

Haley froze for a moment. She knew that Nathan was supposed to finish up shooting his scene hours ago which mean that he must be hanging out with Kendra in his spare time. She couldn't hear any background noise and it worried her that they were alone.

"Hi Kendra. Can you please just put Nathan on for me?" she asked tersely

"Sorry Hun. I'd love to but he's currently… got his hands full." She said breathlessly with a slight moan. "Maybe when we're done I could get him to give you a call." She said before hanging up the phone.

She chuckled lightly to herself. That was way too easy. Now his bitch of a wife would have suspicions about them sleeping together. She quickly deleted the missed call from his phone, turned it offbefore putting it back in her bag and taking out a small little plastic baggie with a white pill in it. She left the bathroom and made her way over to Nathan at the bar. "Let the games begin." She said to herself with a smirk.

She sat down on the stool next towhere hewas sittingand shifted so that she was facing him. She knew he had seen her but was refusing to look at her.

"Nathan. I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me. I got carried away with the whole damsel in distress thing. No one has ever looked out for me the way you do." She said sweetly, hoping to bring him around by preying on his weakness which she had discovered was trying to help people change.

He looked at her and smiled slightly. "It's ok. Just don't let it happen again. I'm a married man." He said seriously.

"I know and I respect that. I respect you… and Haley" she managed to get out sincerely even though she thought she would vomit at saying those words.

She noticed his drink was almost empty. She nodded to the barman who came over. "I'll have another two of whatever he's having." She said.

They kept the conversation light, mainly about how boring the shoot was and in a few minutes, their drinks were served. Kendra knew she had to distract Nathan to put the drug in his drink. She turned her head to look at their table and noticed that Cameron was sitting there staring at them and realized it was perfect. Nathan followed her gaze and glared at the cameraman. She quickly dropped the pill in his drink. It dissolved quickly and once gone showed no traces of being there at all.

She placed her hand on his arm affectionately. "Forget him Nathan. He's not worth it."

He nodded and replied "You're right." Before turning back to his drink and sculling it down quickly. Kendra had to suppress the smirk that was dying to appear.

Within minutes the effects of the drug were kicking in. Nathan had no idea that anything was wrong, instead he just felt really relaxed and ready to have a good time. He grabbed Kendra's hand and said "Let's go dance."

She hopped off stool and gripped his hand tighter with him following her. Instead of heading for the dance floor, Kendra lead him up some stairs which were basically hidden from view in a dark corner. At the top of the stairs was a hallway with four doors. She reached the first one and opened it confidently.

Kendra had found out about these private rooms on her first night here when she was exceptionally horny and sexually frustrated after getting nowhere with Nathan. She had been dancing with a hot guy, whose name to this day she still didn't know, when he asked if she wanted to go somewhere more private. He took her to one of these rooms and basically fucked her brains out for a few hours. She smiled at the memory, remembering how good that night was. He was a great lay, but no where near as good as she knewNathan would be.

She pulled him further into the room and pushed him so he was sitting down on the large suede couch. By this point the drug had taken full effect and he had no idea what he was doing, barely able to open his eyes. Kendra quickly straddled him, running her hands through his hair. She leaned in and kissed him intensely before pulling back for ear. Nathan's eyes were closed and he reached out take hold her hips, softly rubbing circles on her exposed flesh.

"I love you Hales" he said breathlessly

Kendra's body tensed slightly and if his eyes had been open he would have seen the anger and jealousy flashing in hers. She soon relaxed and realized that this was exactly what she needed to take advantage of the situation.

"I love you too baby." She said, trying to sound as much like his wife as possible.

Kendra quickly unzipped his pants and lifted his hips slightly soshe could pull thejeans to his knees. She stoked him softly causing him to moan. She knew thatit wouldn't belong before he passed out, so she hiked up her skirt and raised herself above him before slamming herself down onto his erection, savoring the feel of him inside her. She started of slowly, not wanting to risk him becoming lucid and figuring out what was going on. Soon though, she realized that he way too far gone for that and began to pick up her pace. Before long she was riding him wildly and could feel the physical response she was getting from him. She was disappointed that she couldn't relish in the feel of him wanting her back, instead of being merely a drugged body on a couch. She quickly suppressed those thoughts, not wanting to think about his rejection of her.

After a few minutes she felt herself on the edge and soon clenched tightly around him as her orgasm hit her at full force. The tight clenching of her muscles caused Nathan to come inside her within seconds. She was quite disappointed though, when she did not hear him moan. In fact not a single sound escaped his lips and she realized that although his body had responded to her, his mind and his heart had never been present.

She sighed loudly in frustration and stood up fixing herself. She knew there was a good chance that Nathan wouldn't remember their encounter, so she pulled his pants up with difficulty and pulled up the zip. She hoped that when he woke up he wouldassume he just got drunk and came up here before passing out.


	60. What Happened Last Night?

**I do not own One Tree Hill or any of its characters**

**_Author's Note: Well… what can I say? I think there are a lot of people out there who want to bitch slap me. Haha. Thank you for your honest reviews because that's what I wanted._**

**_I understand that a lot of you are upset with what happened in the last chapter… hell, I'm upset with it. It was a horrible thing that happened. BUT I would like to remind everyone that what Kendra did to Nathan was rape. HE DID NOT CHEAT ON HALEY. I know a lot of you are really pissed with him at the moment, but sit back and think about how you would be reacting if it was the other way around and someone equally as sickslipped Haley a drug and slept with her while she was out of it. Would you be judging her as harshly as you are Nathan? _**

****

Haley rushed around the apartment like a madwoman packing the last of her things into her suitcase. She was going to Italy. The phone conversation with Kendra had troubled her, but not for the reasons one might think. She did not believe for one second that Nathan was cheating on her with the slutty brunette. She had no doubt in her mind that Nathan would never do that to her. All she had to do was think back to the last time she had suspected him of cheating with Taylor. If only she had spoken to him about it, she would have realised it was all a mistake and never would have been in the position where she could be assaulted by Jayden. No. Haley was going to be strong for herself, for her husband and for her marriage.

Lucas had already dropped by to pick up Levi. Haley felt terrible leaving her son while she went overseas, but knew that she couldn't confront Kendra if her son was with her. She had explained as quickly as possible what had happened and what Kendra had said to her. Lucas was absolutely fuming and wanted to jump on a plane himself to slap some sense into his brother. He thought that Nathan was being naïve and ignorant to think that he could be around such a manipulative slut and not get caught up in her games. Haley had calmed him down and told him the best help he could give her at the moment was taking good care of Levi while she was gone. Haley also knew that Brooke was getting extremely maternal these days and would revel in the opportunity to look after her child.

_Flashback_

"_Haley what the hell is going on? Where are you going?" asked a confused and concerned Lucas once he reached his apartment._

"_I'm going to my husband" she said firmly_

"_What's the rush and why aren't you taking Levi? We're happy to look after him for you, but it just seems strange Hales. I know you and how much it kills you to be away from him." He said grabbing her shoulders and forcing her to stop packing Levi's things and look at him._

"_Kendra's up to something and I'm not going to sit around here and wait for it to happen." She said calmly looking into her best friends troubled eyes._

"_What do you mean she's up to something? Has Nathan said something to you to make you concerned about them?" he asked with and edge to his voice. Lucas never could stop himself from becoming overprotective of her. He hated that Nathan was spending so much time with the cheerleader. He didn't understand how Nathan couldn't see just how manipulative she was._

"_No" she replied firmly, hating that Lucas was jumping to conclusions about his brother. Lucas looked at her intensely waiting for her to continue with an explanation._

"_I called his room earlier and he wasn't there, so I tried his cell phone and she answered." Haley said calmly as if retelling an old story because she could see Lucas' mind working already and he was getting upset. "I asked to speak to him, but she said he had his handful and then moaned into the phone. Then she hung up on me." _

_Lucas started pacing the room and exclaimed "That son of a bitch. I'll kill him." trying to keep his voice down so as not to wake up Levi. "How could he do this to you!"_

_This time it was Haley's turn to grab him by the shoulders and force him to pay attention. "How could you do this to him!" she exclaimed, angry at her best friend for immediately thinking the worst. "He is your brother… and my husband. You know he would never cheat on me."_

_Lucas had the decency to look guilty. "I'm sorry. But I can't help but be a little disturbed by it Hales." He said softly. "How are you so calm about this?"_

_Haley felt a small smile grace her lips for the first time since the phone call. "I trust him… completely." She said with full confidence. "Plus, let's just say I hope she doesn't have to fake it in bed too often because she's not fooling anybody. It was like listening to a bad porno." Haley added with a giggle, which caused Lucas to smile. _

_Lucas was glad that Haley was handling it so well. "I always thought that maybe she'd be better suited to the porn industry rather than cheerleading." He replied causing both of them to laugh._

"_I know. Every time I see her on the TV it's like she's having sex with the camera. I mean who could resist those bedroom eyes?" Asked Haley sarcastically still laughing at how pathetic Kendra is._

"_Hales? What exactly are you going to do?" he asked, once again in a serious disposition._

"_I don't know." She replied honestly. "I'd really like to punch her"_

_Lucas smiled at her once again. "Yeah, right Hales. You'd never hit anyone. It's just not you."_

"_A girl can dream can't she?" she replied laughing._

_Lucas gave his best friend a warm hug. He knew she was being honest when she said that she trusted Nathan, but he also knew this was hard on her. _

_Haley felt herself really enjoying being embraced by Lucas. It was just like old times when they'd comfort one another because they had no one else to turn to. She suddenly felt guilty for keeping her secret from him._

"_Luke. There's something I need to tell you." She said sheepishly and continued when he nodded. "I'm pregnant."_

_He pulled her closer and held her tight. "Congratulations Haley. What did Nathan say?"_

"_I haven't told him yet, but I will when I see him." She said with a little trepidation, which didn't go unnoticed by Lucas. _

"_Don't worry Hales. He may not be expecting the news, but he's going to be over the moon about it!"_

_Haley smiled into his shoulder. She wondered if Lucas could read her mind, because he often knew exactly what she was thinking.._

_End of Flashback_

Haley was pulled out of her reverie by the sound of a car horn. Her cab was there to take her to the airport. She felt a sudden rush of anxiety wash over her, but pushed passed it and let strength take over her.

* * *

Nathan woke up to a loud banging noise. He tried to open his eyes, but could seem to manage it. He wasn't sure exactly where he was until he felt the soft fluffy pillows behind his head and the luxurious sheets lying over his body. He was at the hotel.

"Nathan! You all right in there. You're really late for tonight's shoot" yelled a familiar voice from outside the door of his suite.

He tried to respond, but felt that his mouth just wouldn't cooperate with his mind. What felt like hours later, but was only about twenty minutes, he heard the beep of the key card opening the door to his suite. There were muffled voices before he felt a hand on his forehead, lifting his eyelids so that a rush of blinding light hit him. He groaned at the sudden brightness assaulting his senses.

"Mr Scott. This is Dr Welsh. Can you hear me?"

He slowly nodded his head and groaned letting the doctor know that he could indeed hear him. Struggling slightly, Nathan managed to slowly open his eyes and let them adust.

After a few moments his vision cleared and he found Sam, one of the crew members he'd befriended and an older looking gentleman who he assumed was Dr Welsh.

"Sam?" he asked with a raspy voice.

"Hey Nathan. I was worried about you after last night." He said his face etched with concern

Dr Welsh soon spoke. "Sam here says he found you passed out at a club last night and he and some friends brought you back here to your room. Do you remember what happened?"

"No. I was at the club, I danced for a little while and then got a drink. That's all I remember." He said groggily, trying to sort through his foggy memories.

"It's been almost twenty four hours since Sam found you and you're still in pretty bad shape so I'm going to have to do some tests Mr Scott." Said the doctor, opening his medical bag and taking out a syringe for some blood tests. "It appears you may have some sort of drug in your system."

Nathan's mind raced. He knew he hadn't taken anything, because he never took drugs. He barely drank when he went out. Why couldn't he just remember what happened? He couldn't even remember who he had spoken to.

After taking the blood sample, the doctor left saying he would come back with the results. Sam had contacted the director and informed him of Nathan's condition. They decided to change the schedule and get some scenery shots done instead. Sam stayed in the room watching TV and making sure that Nathan was ok.

"Sam. Can you call my wife? I want her to know I'm ok. I don't want this to get leaked to the media and have her worrying about me." He said, trying to prop himself up on some pillows.

"Sure. It's Haley right?" asked Sam, remembering the dozens of stories Nathan had lovingly told about his wife and son since he arrived.

Sam called the home number Nathan gave him but no one answered, so he called her cell phone, which went straight to voice mail.

"I left a message on her cell." He told Nathan.

"Thanks."

* * *

Haley was so glad to be off that damned aeroplane. She had been lucky enough to sit in first class, but it was still a long flight and she was anxious to see Nathan. She made her way through the terminal to the luggage claim and soon had her suitcase. Once she flagged down a cab and directed the driver to take her to Nathan's hotel, not an easy task being unable to speak Italian, she took out her cell phone and saw that there was a missed call from Nathan and that he'd left a message.

_Hi Haley. This is Sam Edgington. I'm a friend of your husband's from the Adidas shoot. He wanted me to call you and let you know that he's ok. Something happened at the club we went to and Nathan's a bit sick at the moment and waiting for test results. Please don't worry too much. The doctor says he should be fine, but he wanted to make sure you heard it from him first. Please call him back when you get this message. Thanks._

Haley's heart raced. She couldn't control the sudden panic that gripped her upon knowing that Nathan was sick. What the hell happened at that club? She fought back the tears that threatened to fall. Haley didn't know what she'd do if something happened to Nathan and suddenly had an overwhelming feeling that Kendra had something to do with it. What was that bitch up to?

Haley was too anxious to enjoy the sights during the ride to the hotel and was relieved when the cab pulled up outside .She paid the driver before dragging her suitcase into the foyer and over to the lifts. Nathan had already informed her of his room number for her visit next week, so she decided to just go straight up there. It felt like the longest elevator ride of her life. She watched as a light shone behind each floor number, like it was taunting her, showing her how just how many floors away she was from her destination. As soon as the lift opened she made her way down the hall to search for his suite.

The sound of a door opening got her attention and she noticed a young guy exiting one of the suites at the end of the hall. He looked at her strangely for a moment before smiling and approaching her.

"Haley?" he asked hesitantly, recognising her from a couple of photos Nathan had, but not expecting to see her.

"Yes." She replied with just as much uncertainty

"I'm Sam. Sam Edgington. I left you a message earlier. Boy do you travel fast!" he joked

"Oh. Hi Sam. Yeah, I was already on a flight and got your message when I arrived." She said smiling back at him. "Is… is he ok?" she asked letting a tear fall down her cheek, unable to hold back any longer.

"Yes. He's going to be fine. He's a little groggy, but I'm sure he'll liven up once he knows you're here." He replied rubbing her arm reassuringly. Haley knew she liked this man already. "He never stops talking about you, you know?" he added truthfully, trying to put a smile on her troubled face.

"Look, here's the key for his suite. I have to go do some things but I'll be back in a couple of hours." He said handing her the key card and pointing to Nathan's door in case she had forgotten which one he came out of.

"Thanks Sam. See you later."

Nathan had drifted off. Not quite sleeping, but still not quite awake. Sam had just left and promised to be back to check on him in a couple of hours. He was glad that he had Sam to look after him. Definitely not as good as having his beautiful Haley to watch over him, but at least he wasn't alone.

He suddenly felt, a soft warm hand stroke his cheek tenderly and opened his eyes slowly, wondering what was going on. The he saw her. Haley. This couldn't possibly be real. It must be a dream. He had passed out again and was dreaming this. But why would his dream Haley be crying?

"Hales?" he asked staring up at her, slowly struggling to cover her hand with his.

"It's me. How are you feeling?" she asked shifting onto the bed so that she could lie beside him.

"I'm… what are you doing here? I mean, Sam only just called you not long ago. What's going on?" he asked confused. "Is this real?"

Haley chuckled lightly at his question. Instead of telling him this was real, she decided to show him by slowly leaning forward and kissing his lips tenderly. He responded immediately with as much energy he could muster.

He pulled away from her breathless, still weak from the drugs. "You're really here." He stated with wonder. "I missed you."

"I missed you" she replied scooting closer to him and pulling him into her embrace. She was so relieved to have him lying there in her arms after being apart for so long, and then receiving the fright of her life with that phone message she received.

Nathan cuddled up closer to her warm body, resting his head on her chest. "I love you Hales." He said before slowly drifting back to sleep.

"I love you too, Nate."


	61. Confrontations And Celebrations

**I do not own One Tree Hill or any of its characters.**

Haley sat perfectly still watching her husband sleep. It had been three days since she arrived and although still slightly weak, Nathan had almost fully recovered. Dr Welsh had told the couple that the tests had shown Nathan to have Ketamine in his system, also known as 'K' on the party scene. It is a horse tranquilizer used to completely dull the senses. Unfortunately, the drug given to Nathan was extremely strong and he was lucky that he hadn't died.

No matter how hard she tried, Haley couldn't stop the tears from falling. She had just confronted Kendra and it definitely had not gone as planned. She now had a knot in her stomach that felt as though it was tearing at her insides. She looked at her husband and wondered how something like this could have happened to him.

_Flashback_

_Haley left Nathan to sleep in his suite and decided that now was the time to confront Kendra about the phone call. She knocked loudly on the door and waited for her to open it._

"_I'm coming. There's no need to bang the fucking door down." Yelled Kendra from inside, before swinging it wide open to be confronted with a very pissed off Haley James-Scott._

"_Haley. How nice to see you" said Kendra in a sickly sweet voice. "What can I do for you?". Kendra knew Haley's type. They were good small town girls that always tried to please everyone. She couldn't understand what the hell Nathan saw in her. That was why she didn't expect her to storm into the suite almost knocking her over in the process._

"_Listen to me you manipulative little slut. I don't know exactly what you're playing at, but whatever it is, don't bother. Nathan doesn't want you. He'll never want you. So stop living in a fantasy world where you think that he will ever sleep with you, because he won't." spouted Haley angrily in one long breath._

_Kendra stood in front of her with her arms crossed over her chest, smirking smugly and it was quite unnerving. Haley really wanted to wipe the smirk off her face._

"_Wow. You're more insecure than I thought." Laughed Kendra "And you also have no idea what you're talking about." _

_Haley took another step closer showing that she wouldn't be intimidated by the taller brunette. "Nathan almost died the other night because he was drugged. I know you had something to do with it. I have no doubt you'd stoop that low." Growled Haley, her anger building at the thought of losing her husband._

_Kendra felt a little bit of panic wash over her, but knew that no one would ever be able to prove that she drugged Nathan. She also decided that seeing as though Haley was right, and Nathan would never want her, she may as well cause as much damage to little miss perfect as she could._

"_Maybe. But it wasn't all bad for him. He certainly seemed to be more than enjoying himself with me in the back room of the club." Kendra said with a self satisfied smile, just imagining the hurt the blonde woman must be feeling._

"_What are you talking about?" asked Haley unsure if she wanted to know the answer._

"_You know exactly what I'm talking about Haley. Even you're not that naïve." She laughed evilly again. "I fucked your husband's brains out that night. He was the best I've ever had. I can only imagine how amazing he would be when he's actually conscious."_

_The first thought Haley had was that Kendra was lying and just trying to bait her. But looking into her cold eyes, she could see truth there. Kendra had really slept with her husband. She had no idea what took over her body, but within seconds Haley had closed the distance between them and punched her squarely in the face. Kendra yelped in pain and fell backwards onto the floor of the suite._

"_You stupid bitch!" she screamed at Haley who was standing above her in shock that she had actually hit another person. "How am I supposed to finish the shoot with a broken nose?"_

"_Not really my problem Kendra. You deserved it and you know it." She replied calmly._

"_It will be your problem when I get my lawyers involved." Threatened Kendra standing up and staring straight at her with rage._

"_Kendra, do you really want to go there? I know I have no proof that you drugged and RAPED my husband, but I'm sure you're career wont be completely unscathed by the scandal if it hit the media." _

_The smug look fell from Kendra's face as she realized that Haley was right. This story would create a media circus and it's the last thing she wanted to deal with. Plus, what if someone saw her spike his drink that night and came forward. She couldn't risk it._

"_Fine. Now I assume we're done here." Muttered Kendra angrily, knowing she would have to pull out of the campaign._

"_Oh, we're done. And if you so much as look at my husband again, I'll bury you." Threatened Haley before exiting the suite and slamming the door behind her._

_End of Flashback_

Haley was brought out of her reverie by the feel of Nathan's hand on her cheek. She looked into his concerned eyes through the tears in her own.

"What's wrong Haley?" he asked sitting up and resting his back against the headboard. He tried to pull her with him, but she refused. Now was the time for her to tell him exactly what had happened in the club that night and she knew it was going to hurt him.

Nathan watched his wife struggle to find the words she needed to say. It was worrying him slightly because he had no idea what could possibly be wrong. Surely it wasn't anyone back home, because she would have told him already.

"Hales?" he asked with a panicked edge to his voice

"Nate. There's something you need to know… about what happened at the club." She said looking into his eyes. She could see that he was confused, but was keeping quiet so that she could finish what she needed to say.

"I just had a bit of a run in with Kendra." She said unable to stop her lips curling into a bit of a smile at the memory of punching her. "Actually, I kind of broke her nose."

"What?" asked Nathan, wondering why on earth she would do something like that. It was definitely a side her he'd never seen.

"Just let me tell you everything and you'll understand." She pleaded

"Ok"

"Kendra is the one who spiked you're drink. She all but straight out admitted it to me." Haley said studying his reaction which was surprising calm.

"What else Hales?" he asked knowing that there must be more.

"Well… um, when you were passed out, she…" Haley struggled to finish as the tears returned.

"Haley? What happened?" he asked trying not to raise his voice.

"She slept with you Nathan. She raped you." She said tearfully, wishing that she could be stronger for her husband right now.

Nathan didn't know what to say or feel or think. Kendra had had sex with him while he was unconscious. How did that happen? Rape? How the hell does that work? He looked at his wife crying and felt guilty. This was his fault. He had to have responded to Kendra for her to fuck him and the thought made him sick. He felt as though he had betrayed Haley, even if he couldn't remember anything, his body had responded to another woman and allowed her to have sex with him.

Haley wiped her tears away and approached Nathan. She wanted to comfort him and hold him tight, but he flinched at her touch. She immediately scurried back on the bed, not wanting to do anything to hurt him. She had no idea what was going through his head or how to help him and that scared her.

"I'm sorry" he whispered

"Nathan. It's ok. I understand if you don't want to be touched right now." She said soothingly.

"That's not what I meant Hales. "I'm sorry I let this happen." He replied unable to meet her eyes as his own tears fell.

"Nate! This isn't your fault and I don't want you blaming yourself. She did this to you. SHE violated YOU!" exclaimed the blonde loudly

Nathan wanted to believe her and part of him knew she was right, but another small part of him couldn't help feeling that he was partly to blame. He looked up through watery eyes and stared at his wife for a few moments before she quickly made her way back up to him and wrapped her arms protectively around his body. Nathan let his head rest on her chest and let go as the sobs wracked through his body. At least she was there for him. He could get through anything with her by his side.

* * *

Lucas entered his and Brooke's apartment after returning from a game of basketball with Jake. As he opened the door he could the sound of a cartoon on the television and could only assume it was 'Finding Nemo'. Levi had watched the movie several times a day since he had stayed with them.

He took his shoes off and looked around the living area where his suspicions were confirmed. There on the television was Nemo, the lovable clown fish he's grown to love. But there was no sign of his wife or his nephew. He moved forward and looked over the back of the couch to see one of the most heartwarming sights of his life. Brooke lay on her back, with Levi cuddled up on her stomach and she had her hands protectively wrapped around him. Both of them were asleep and looking peaceful.

This was exactly how it should be. He knew Brooke would be a wonderful mother and couldn't wait for everything to go through with the adoption agency so that they could have a child of their own. The couple loved having Levi stay with them. It was amazing what energy and light the boy brought into their home. It was like a promise of things to come.

Brooke opened her eyes to see her husband watching her and instantly felt the warmth of her nephew snuggled against her. The smile that emerged on her face made Lucas' heart swell. They had both been through so much in the last year and to be so happy was refreshing.

"You look comfortable." Said Lucas, as he took a seat on the couch, lifting her head onto his lap.

"You have no idea" she replied, thinking how wonderful it would be to be able to hold a child of their own, even if it took a while.

As if reading her mind, Lucas stroked her hair and said sweetly "Soon, baby."

Levi shifted slightly before opening his eyes. He immediately started to cry, as he always did after waking up. Brooke sat up slowly, stroking his back trying to settle him down. He looked up and saw his Aunt Brooke smiling at him and the sobs subsided as he snuggled further into her chest still feeling sleepy. Brooke knew that Levi missed his mom and dad, but was also happy to be spending time with his aunt and uncle. He was the kind of child that loved being around his parents, but would happily stay with friends.

Levi shifted his head and for the first time, noticed that Lucas was sitting with them. A big grin spread across his face and he scrambled from his aunt's grip and quickly made his way over to his favourite uncle, suddenly full of energy. Brooke pouted for a moment missing the warmth of holding her nephew, but couldn't help but smile at the look of total adoration on the little boys face while he was talking with Lucas. Her husband was so good with children, especially Levi who worshipped the ground he walked on.

The phone rang and Brooke made her way into the kitchen to answer it. A couple of minutes later she re entered the room and sat next to Lucas. He noticed that she was in a complete daze, staring at the television, but not actually watching. He was a little concerned by her behavior.

"Brooke? Is something wrong?" he asked

She turned to him with a few tears in her eyes, but before he could worry too much a small smile graced her lips.

"That was the adoption agency. They want us to go in tomorrow morning." She said softly

"Why. What did they say?" he asked urgently, hoping they hadn't changed their minds and rejected their application.

"They found us a baby Luke." She said still in shock

Lucas couldn't believe it. They had both expected to wait up to a year before adopting, but here they were being told that they were about to be parents. He grinned at his wife and pulled her close. Before long, Levi had had enough of the group hug and got off the couch sitting on the floor to watch the rest of the dvd.

He kissed her tenderly, tasting salty tears on her lips. "It's actually happening babe. We're going to be parents." He said. "Did they tell you how this has happened so fast?"

"They said that they have been dealing with a pregnant teenage girl. She had already chosen the couple she wanted to adopt her baby, but they decided they weren't ready yet. Normally the agency would just go to the next couple on the list, but she asked to see the files of any new couples that had registered and she decided she wants us." Brooke said still shocked but very happy with the news.

"How far along is she?" asked Luke, wanting to know how long they would have to wait to have their son or daughter.

"Eight months" she replied, as her husband's jaw dropped. "We're going to be parents in one month Luke. Can you believe it?" she asked

"One month" he said still trying to rap his head around the concept. He placed his hand on her cheeks and kissed her slowly and softly. "I'm so happy right now."

"Me too." She replied smiling, before it turned into a frown. She quickly jumped up off the couch and ran into her bedroom. Lucas had no idea what was going on, so he picked up Levi and followed her into the bedroom where she was grabbing her purse.

"What's are you doing?" he asked

She took Levi from him and stated "I am changing his diaper and then we're all going shopping." She said scurrying off to the spare bedroom where Levi's things were.

Lucas soon entered the room as Brooke had begun to change Levi. "Why are we shopping?" he asked

"We have a nursery to set up." She said smiling. "There's so much to do Lucas. I want everything to be perfect. We need to get paint and a crib and a change table and clothes and… there's just so much to organize."

Lucas laughed, knowing that Brooke was in her element. If there was something that girl could do better than anyone else, it was shop. But this time he was actually excited to be doing it with her.

"Ok. Before we go anywhere we have to think of a colour scheme. What do you think babe?" he asked as his eyes wandered the room trying to think of the perfect set up for their child. They needed something warm and inviting.

"I was thinking pink." She said with a teasing smirk

"Pink? Don't you thing we need something that would be suitable for…" he stopped talking when he realized that she was smirking at him knowingly. "Pink. We're going to have a daughter?" he asked happily

She nodded her head before Lucas ran to her and lifted her into his arms. He was going to have a little girl. In one month he would be a father to a beautiful little girl.

They heard giggling and realized that Levi was sitting on the bed laughing and clapping at Lucas swinging Brooke around in circles. Brooke kissed him chastely before whispering "We're going to be a family Luke. It's going to be perfect."


	62. Are You Happy?

**I do not own One Tree Hill or any of its characters**

_**Author's Note: I decided to have this chapter solely about Nathan and Haley clearing the air and talking about everything that they needed to discuss over the past couple of months. I'm pretty sure a lot of you will be happy that everything is now out in the open between them. Please review.**_

Nathan was of two minds. He was having such a wonderful time that he never wanted it to end, but in less than twenty four hours it would. He felt as though after all the darkness that had rained on him over the last week, Haley was his sunshine bringing light into an otherwise bleak world. As if sensing his thoughts, he felt her squeeze his hand tighter as they strolled along the pebble stoned street and when he turned to face her, a smile graced her lips.

It was the first day since she arrived that he had been well enough take her out for an entire day of sightseeing. He had barely left the hotel the whole week, at first being physically unable to and then being beside himself waiting for test results. He had been so scared that Kendra may have passed a sexually transmitted disease to him. Even though he felt guilty for not showing Haley a good time while in Italy, he just could not hide the fact that he was scared, anxious and angry. She never complained though. She just stood by him every step of the way trying to ease his fears and bring a smile to his face. He could never thank her enough for being the amazing woman she was.

"Hales?" he asked when they had stopped by a small park with a stream and sat down on the grass.

"Yeah?" she asked, looking at him lovingly like he was the only other person on the planet. He loved that she made him feel like that every time her eyes looked into his.

"Are you happy?" he asked hesitantly

Haley allowed his question to sink in, still unsure completely of its meaning. Was she happy in general? At this moment? What was he asking her?

As if reading her mind he added "With your life. Are you happy with your life?" he asked watching her carefully.

Nathan had a lot of time to think over the past week. He realized how close he had come to dying after being drugged and started to think about whether or not he was happy with his life. He realized he wasn't. Well, not completely. His career was going well and he was playing his best game, but he just didn't enjoy it the way he used to. He felt as though it stealing away precious time he could be spending with his family. He had almost ruined his marriage that year and it would have been the biggest mistake of his life. He missed being surrounded by their friends and family. He missed seeing Haley happy with their friends and family. And even though things had been so much better for them over the past couple of months, he knew that she wanted more. Needed more. But he also knew that she'd never ask for it. She would sacrifice her own happiness for his, and she had already proven it countless times. He often wondered what she would be doing now if they hadn't met. Hadn't fallen in love and married at such a young age. Hadn't become parents so early in life. Not that he regretted any of it, because he didn't. He loved her more than life itself and now he felt that she was the reason he lived. And Levi. His son meant the world to him and he would do anything to give him a wonderful life. But he couldn't help thinking that he had been living his dream playing in the NBA, while Haley had forgone both college and a music career.

"Of course I am." She responded softly. "It may not be the life I pictured for myself, but I wouldn't change anything." She smiled at her husband, wondering where his question had come from.

"Do you regret not going to college or pursuing your music again?" he asked

Haley thought about his question. Sure she had always been an extremely intelligent girl and Stanford had been her dream. Then there was the possibility of making it in the music industry, which she knew she could do. She honestly hadn't thought about either of those dreams in such a long time. Almost as if they weren't hers at all and she now had everything she wanted in her husband, son and unborn child.

"No" she answered honestly. "I have you and I have Levi and…" Haley stopped herself as soon as she realized that she almost spoke about the baby. She had planned on telling him that day and she was going to do it, but no way was she going to blurt it out accidentally!

"And what Hales?" he asked, knowing that she was holding back.

"Are you happy Nathan?" she asked partly avoiding his question, but mostly desperate to find out the answer. What if he wasn't? Was it possible that he felt tied down by his family and wished he lived life more… like he had slightly hinted to Jason and Taylor. And if so, how was she going to tell him that he was expecting another child. Another chain to keep him away from a life of freedom he could only dream about.

"No." he said firmly, looking into her eyes.

"Oh" she responded quickly looking away, trying to hide the hurt that was tearing at her insides. He noticed this and immediately continued.

"I'm not happy with how things are Hales" he said lifting her chin, forcing her to look at him. "I'm not happy that I almost let my career ruin our marriage. I'm not happy that I allowed my wife, the woman I love more than anything, to be unhappy for the better part of a year. I'm not happy that I missed some of the most important events in my son's life, like his first steps and his first word. I'm not happy that I have to spend months away from my family filming some stupid sports campaign and when my wife does visit, I couldn't even make love to her because some psychotic bitch drugged my drink and raped me and I had to be tested for STD's. I'm not happy that this is what my life has become." He ranted in one breath, his eyes never leaving hers.

Haley's breath caught in her chest. She knew that Nathan regretted some things, like the bad times they had been through in that past year, but she didn't realized just how much it all affected him. She reached up and loving caressed his cheek.

"So what are we going to do to make you happier Nathan?" she asked, showing him that she wanted what was best for her husband.

"Why are you so good to me Hales? You're always putting me first." He said his voice full of wonderment. He cupped her face and kissed her lips tenderly

"Because I love you and if you're not happy, then neither am I. Tell me what you want Nathan." She urged.

"I want to quit basketball." He said immediately shocking both of them. He hadn't even realized those words would escape his mouth. But they didn't scare him. He realized in that moment that he really did want to quit. His love for the game had died a little and it just didn't seem that important anymore.

"Nathan. Are you sure I mean, it's your dream and you love playing." She said concerned that he would be making a mistake.

"Not as much as I love you and Levi. Things aren't working for us in LA Hales. You're not happy. I'm not happy. What would you say to moving back to Chapel Hill?" he asked tentatively

Haley's smile grew wide and she threw herself into his arms. "I'd say hell yes." She responded before kissing him passionately. She was so happy in that moment that she tried to push aside any worries about money and Nathan having to break his contract with the Lakers. It was what they both wanted and they would make it work.

"Everything's going to be great Hales. I know Barry can help me get out of my contract. After I finish this campaign we won't even need to worry about money and that will give me time to figure out what I want to do. I've never really thought about doing anything besides playing ball, so it may take a while to figure out what sort of career I want.

"You can do anything you want Nate. You're smart and determined… and no woman can resist your charms" she added jokingly, earning herself a smirk from her husband.

"Once I'm done here, I'm going to come home and spend time with my family. I don't want to lose any more time with you and Levi. I've always known that family is the most important thing to me, I just sort of got sidetracked making sure I could provide for you." He said still feeling the shame of neglecting them

"It's in the past Nathan. I don't want you to dwell on it. I don't want any more apologies from you. All I want is you." She said forcefully

Nathan looked into her eyes and knew she was sincere. How could someone as amazing as his Haley want nothing more than to be with him? He didn't know and he didn't want to question it. When he looked into his future all he could see for certain was her, Levi and hopefully more children to fill their home with love and laughter.

"Hales. I want to try for another baby." He said watching for her reaction. He was pleased when a smile spread across her face. She took his hand in hers and placed in gently on her stomach.

"We don't need to try" she said softly still smiling widely

"You're pregnant?" he asked happily, but still shocked.

Haley nodded her head and watched as his hand circled softly on her belly. "Almost three months." She replied

Nathan's head snapped up at this revelation. "How long have you known?" he asked wondering why she hadn't told him yet. Surely she would have known for a while if she was that far along?

Haley felt uncomfortable because she didn't want to ruin their wonderful moment by reminding him of his words to Justin about how he didn't want more kids for a few years. But he was looking at her intently and would not stop until he got his answer.

"Um… well I was going to, but I didn't think you'd be happy." She began before Nathan interrupted her.

"Hales. Of course I would be happy. The love of my life is having my child." He said incredulously, unable to understand her doubts.

Her heart fluttered as he uttered those words. "I'm sorry Nate. It's just that after you found out Taylor was pregnant…"

"I'm an asshole" he shot out, remembering immediately what he had said that night. Most of that was said for Haley's benefit. At that time he had already started worrying that Haley was missing out on life and he thought he was being sweet by thinking about her dreams. Instead he had made his wife believe that he didn't want their unborn child.

"What?" she asked confused by his outburst.

"I'm sorry about what I said that night. I was just worried that you were missing out on so much and I thought maybe you wanted to go to college and I was worried I wouldn't be able to support you enough if we had another baby." He rambled, staring at his hands fidgeting in his lap.

"It doesn't matter now Nathan. We're having a baby and we're both happy about it, so let's not think about anything now but us." She said causing him to smile.

"You are so lucky we are in public right now Hales, or you would be in serious trouble" he said staring at her with love and lust shining in his eyes.

"How about we head back to the hotel?" she practically purred in his ear.

Without even answering he jumped up and grabbed her hand pulling her along with him back to the hotel.


	63. The Newest Scott

**I do not own One Tree Hill or any of its characters**

_**Author's Note: This is quite a short chapter because I haven't had much time to work on it. Also just letting you know that I am going to finish the story up in a couple of chapters. I feel that it's lost some of its momentum and I'd like to finish it on a good note rather than drag it on for the sake of it. I do intent to start working on another story, but I have no idea what it will be about yet. So hopefully you will enjoy it as much as you have this one. Thanks for all the support and wonderful reviews.**_

Haley and Peyton were sitting in Brooke's lounge room with her and her new daughter, Zaria Kendall Scott, the latest edition to the Scott clan. She was a gorgeous little baby with fine delicate features, dark brown hair and green eyes. Being adopted, she looked nothing like Brooke or Lucas, but neither cared. She was theirs and that was all that mattered.

"So Hales, you excited about Nathan coming home tonight?" asked Brooke who had just managed to get Zaria to sleep after her feed.

"I can't wait. It's been the longest 6 weeks of my life." She said with a grin. "He's so excited to meet his niece. I've been sending pictures of her to his phone and he's already fallen in love with her." She smiled happily, watching Brooke stroke her daughter's hair.

"Who wouldn't? She's adorable." Peyton chimed in, still overjoyed that her best friend was so happy with her new baby.

"She is, isn't she?" the new mum said with pride, then chuckled. "She's already got Lucas wrapped around her little finger and she can't even speak yet!" she said trying to sound disgusted at how soft her husband has become.

Peyton and Haley just gave her a knowing look, not falling for the nonchalant act she was putting on.

"Ok. Fine. I guess I'm just as bad as he is." She admitted with a grin.

Before long, Haley found herself staring off into space lost in her thoughts about Nathan. She had told Brooke the truth when she said she was excited about him coming home, but she was also nervous. When Haley and Nathan had attempted to make love for the first time in Italy, they hadn't gotten very far.

_Flashback_

_Nathan kicked the door to his suite shut as he guided Haley over to the bed. They had missed each other so much and wanted desperately to make love after almost a month apart. He lay her back down on the bed, never moving his lips away from hers. Her hands reached the hem of his shirt and lifted it up, their mouths pulling apart briefly to remove his shirt up over his head. Nathan made quick work of the buttons on her blouse, pulling it off her arms and then undoing the clasp of her bra, releasing her breasts from the confines of the silky fabric._

_His attention soon went to the waistband of her jeans, undoing the buttons. Haley lifted her hips slightly so that Nathan could slide the denim from her legs along with her panties. She too reached for his jeans, undoing the belt buckle and button and unzipping them in a flash. He quickly stood up and let them fall to the floor before stepping out of them and also removing his boxer shorts as well. _

_He stood still for a moment soaking in the sight of his beautiful, naked wife waiting for him on the bed propped up by her elbows and smiling at him lovingly. He felt a pang of hesitance. It was quite confusing for him. He loved Haley and he wanted her urgently, but there was something else he was feeling but couldn't put a finger on it. Maybe it had to do with his slight guilt about what happened with Kendra. He decided to ignore it and not let that woman wreak any more havoc on his life._

_Haley noticed his hesitance and slowly sat up on the edge of the bed, beckoning him to come and sit with her. She placed her hand supportively on his shoulder blade and kissed his cheek._

"_We don't have to do this Nate. If you're not ready…" she said assuming this had to do with the rape._

"_No. It's fine. I want to." He insisted, before kissing her passionately. _

_He lay her down again and as he entered her, they both moaned letting their hands explore each others flesh. All was well until Nathan flipped them over so that Haley was on top straddling him, riding him slowly. All of a sudden his mind flashed back to the night at the club that he hadn't been able to remember. He saw hazy images of Kendra on top of him, doing exactly what his wife was doing now. _

_Suddenly, he froze. Remembering what happened that night was making him feel sick and he had to stop. He pushed Haley off him and raced to the bathroom, vomiting into the toilet._

_Haley sat stunned on the bed, listening to his retching and wondering what the hell just happened. One moment everything was fine and then he was pushing her away and throwing up. She couldn't move. Partly out of fear… fear for her husband's health and state of mind and partly out of guilt. She should have known he wasn't ready for this. All she could do now was support him and try to convince him to seek help. He obviously wasn't dealing with all of it as well as he thought._

_End of Flashback_

After that incident, they'd refrained from trying again for the rest of her stay in Italy. She did, however, convince Nathan to see a therapist and attended his first session with him. Since returning home, Haley had been assured by her husband that he was still seeing the therapist and that he felt it was actually doing him a lot of good. Even though he appeared to be confident that they would no longer have a problem being intimate, Haley was still anxious about it. She really didn't want to push him.

Brooke noticed her daydreaming and asked "Are you ok Hales?"

Haley nodded her head and gave a slight smile.

"You still worried about Nate? Luke said he seems to be doing really well after the therapy." The Brunette added trying to raise her friend's spirits.

"I know that's what he says, and I want to believe him… but I just don't want him to think I'm pressuring him. He's my husband, so of course I want to be with him when he comes home, but I don't want to risk him rushing things. I really just don't know what to do."

Peyton hated seeing this happening to Nathan and Haley. They had both been through so much and deserved a little happiness and peace in their lives. "Try not to over think or overanalyze it. Just follow his lead. If he's uncomfortable, he'll let you know. Besides, you have no reason to doubt that he's ready if he says he is."

Haley shrugged her shoulders obviously undecided on the subject.

"The way Luke tells it, I really don't think there's going to be a problem." Brooke announced with a smirk.

"What do you mean?"

"He and Nathan have been talking on the phone a lot lately and trust me, your husband can't wait to get home and have his way with you." Brooke said suggestively

Haley laughed, but still seemed a little unsure.

"Haley. Trust me." Her friend repeated.

And funnily enough, she did. A small weight was being lifted off her shoulders. She had her husband returning to her, a little boy she adored and another child on the way. Haley was happy.


	64. Homecoming

**I do not own One Tree Hill or any of its characters**

**_Author's Note: sorry for the wait guys. I've been really busy. I think there will only be one more chapter after this. Thanks for everyone's reviews. Please keep them coming._**

It had been a long flight, but Nathan was very much alert and rearing to go. He had been a little disappointed when he found that Haley wasn't at the airport to greet him. Instead he found his brother who explained that something had come up with Peyton and Luke had offered to pick him up instead. They collected his luggage and Lucas drove him back to the apartment.

Looking at the apartment now from the street, Nathan felt the corners of his mouth curl up into a smile. It had definitely been a long and trying time away from home and he was very glad to be back. He hadn't seen Levi since he left and wanted to hold him like there was no tomorrow. He hadn't seen Haley for a few weeks either and he was dying to hold her, feel her soft skin against him, his mouth over hers. He loved her with all his heart and their physical attraction only added to what was already an amazing connection they shared. And there was no denying it… Nathan Scott needed to make love to his wife.

"We gonna stand here all day or do wanna go in?" asked Lucas holding two of his brother's heavy suitcases. He had to bring home more luggage due to the all the gifts he had bought for his family and friends while he was away.

"Stop whining Lucy" he replied with a smirk.

Lucas didn't bother replying, he simply shoved Nathan a little to make him start moving towards the apartment door. Nathan put his suitcases down and knocked on the door. He had a key in his backpack, but figured it would be easier if Haley just answered the door. After a few moments and still no answer, Nathan put his ear to the door to listen for any sounds. The place was dead quiet. Obviously she wasn't home. Nathan felt a wave of disappointment. All he'd wanted to do was come home and see his family and now he would be in his apartment alone until they returned.

"Have you got your key, man?" asked Lucas impatiently as he struggled with the luggage he was still holding.

Nathan nodded and pulled off his backpack, opening the small front pocket and retrieving the key. He turned the key in the lock and opened the door. The apartment was almost pitch black, which wasn't too surprising considering the sun had gone down about an hour earlier. He took a step inside and searched for the light switch before flipping it on. As soon as the light hit his eyes Nathan heard "Surprise" and once he quickly focused his eyes, he saw his friends and family in the living room with a 'Welcome Home Nathan' sign, streamers, balloons and plenty of food and drinks.

Haley was the first to move and she ran to him jumping into his arms. She felt like heaven and he never wanted to let her go. With their arms still around each other Haley whispered 'I missed you so much' and he felt a few of her tears on his shoulder. He pulled away so that he could look at her, softly wiping away her tears of joy with his thumbs before kissing her lovingly. The couple were completely wrapped up in each other and failed to remember the people around them until Brooke yelled out 'get a room' causing the rest of the party guests to laugh heartily. They pulled apart and laughed along with them.

He heard the little voice before he even caught sight of his son.

"Daddy!" squealed Levi who was being put down on the ground by his Grandma Deb. Levi ran as fast as his little legs could take him and flung himself at Nathan who had squatted down on the floor to greet him.

"Daddy, you home" Levi yelled happily as his father scooped him up in his arms and hugged him tightly, placing a few loving kisses on his cheeks and forehead.

"How's my big boy doing?" Nathan asked. "Have you been good for Mommy?" he asked

"Me good. Me good." He said smiling at his dad and then at his mother who had cuddled up with the two of them.

"Yes, you've been very good. Now how about you go play with Jenny" she suggested, and Levi happily complied.

The next few hours were spent talking and catching up with the rest of the guests. After a couple of hours Nathan had spoken with all the guests and he looked around the apartment at all of his family and friends.

Haley and Deb and were talking animatedly about something in the kitchen, while they started to clean up the mess. Taylor was sitting on Jason's lap on the couch while he gently stroked her now slightly protruding stomach. It was a beautiful sight and Nathan knew that they were going to be happy together and make good parents to their child. Jake was on the floor being attacked by two very hyperactive toddlers while, Peyton held Elizette and talked quietly with Karen at the kitchen table.

Nathan looked over to the other couch and found Lucas and Brooke cuddled up together, while Lucas held his daughter lovingly. Zaria had fallen asleep and her father was gently stroking her hair, while Brooke leaned against him and lay her head on his shoulder, also watching Zaria sleep. They were the picture of a perfect family and Nathan felt so much happiness knowing that life was good for them now. They really deserved it.

Nathan didn't know how long he had been watching the three of them, but it must have been awhile because when he turned around all their guests were gathering their things preparing to leave. Brooke and Lucas soon joined them wanting to get Zaria home to bed.

They all said their goodbyes out the front of the apartment. Once everyone had left, Nathan made his way back inside and could see Haley in Levi's room. He joined her and they both got him ready for bed and tucked him in for the night.

"Thank you Hales" said Nathan as she closed their son's door. "The party was great."

"I thought you'd like it. Everyone was dying to see you."

He smiled. "It was definitely good to catch up with them. I haven't seen Mom or Karen for ages."

Haley kissed him on the cheek and then began to make her way back into the kitchen so that she could finish cleaning up. She only made it a few steps before Nathan had grabbed her around the waist and thrown her over his shoulder.

"Nate! What are you doing?" she squealed softly trying not to wake their son.

He simply patted her ass and said in a husky voice "Having my way with you"

Haley laughed at Nathan's antics and thought to herself that Brooke had been right. There was nothing to worry about. Nathan was doing a lot better and obviously wanted to make love as much as she did.

He placed her gently on the bed, climbing above her before they began kissing slowly. Haley was going to follow his lead completely, and he seemed to want to take it slow and savour every second of their time together.

Nathan slowly removed the light tank top she was wearing. He made faster work of his shirt and pants, leaving him in only his boxers. While he was removing his clothing, Haley took off her bra, but that was about as far as she got before Nathan returned to his position above her and placed sweet kisses on her breasts. He travelled further down to her stomach and smiled when he noticed that she now had an obvious baby bump. He ran his fingers over the soft skin and kissed every inch of her stomach, revelling in the thought of becoming a father again.

He hooked his thumbs under the elastic waist of her skirt and panties and pulled them offer, tossing them aside. The sight of his beautiful wife naked before him turned him on more than he ever thought anything ever could. Nathan found that he no longer wanted to take it slowly, it felt like he had to be inside her immediately or he would explode. Haley saw the change in him straight away. The way his blue eyes darkened and his jaw clenched slightly. She'd seen it many times and it excited her to no end. She crooked her finger and beckoned him back to her.

Nathan needed no further encouragement and quickly moved back up to her, kissing her passionately. She opened her legs further so that he could rest between them. Within moments he entered her and they both moaned, delighting in the feeling. Nathan was above her, resting on his forearms, moving inside her and looking into her eyes. They started out slow, but eventually Nathan increased his thrusts as did Haley, who arched her hips up to meet him. Never once did they tear their eyes away from each other.

They both came at once with Nathan groaning softly and Haley suppressing the scream in the back of her throat. Nathan kissed her deeply, before shifting himself to lie beside her. Haley lay her head on his chest and threw a leg over his while Nathan ran his fingers through her silky hair.

"That was.." Haley sighed

"Incredible" Nathan said finishing his wife's sentence.

"Oh yeah" she laughed, filled with relief that Nathan had been ready, willing and definitely able.

"I love you so much Hales." He whispered into her hair.

She looked up into his eyes, unable to hide the pure happiness she felt at that moment. "I love you. Always and Forever"

Nathan grinned at her before quickly shifting so that he had pinned her beneath him again.

"Well, well Mr Scott. Never knew you had so much stamina" she joked

"I can't help it. You're just so damned hot that I can't resist you" he said smiling back but both of them knew he meant every word. Nathan had never hidden how attracted he was to his wife. "Now, as much as I love talking, I can think of something else that would put my tongue to much better use." He said with a sexy smirk.

"Really?" she asked playing along with him

"Yep" he said as he moved down and completely took her by surprise by blowing a very loud raspberry on her stomach which set her into a fit of giggles.


	65. Happy Birthday

**I do not own One Tree Hill or any of its characters.**

_**Author's Note: Thanks again to everyone who has stuck with this story. I will hopefully be writing another one soon, so look out for it.** **I might write a sequel to this one day about the parents and the children when they've grown up a bit. I'm not sure, but it could happen.**_

**_I would like to say a big thank you to Nathanlvr, Krizue, Naleychick, deli41321, chelle2911, Ergonomicsky, CCScott23, harroc83, Chris-Crips, Dang'rous-LoVe.23, Duckygirl andForevero03. There are so many more of you, but I can't list everyone. Youhave all been a great inspiration and motivation for my writing, especially those who regularly read and reviewed this story as well as a lot of you who shared your ideas with me. _**

**_Wocketsarecool: To answer your question, no I hadn't forgotten that I'd written Haley was pregnant. I'm not sure if maybe you missed chapter 62 – 'Are You Happy?', but Haley tells Nathan about the pregnancy at the end of that chapter. Thanks for the review and I'm glad you are enjoying the story. _**

****

"_Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday Flynn and Bailey. Happy birthday to you"_

The song rang out throughout the house and was followed by loud cheering. Nathan and Haley had organised a birthday party for their children's first birthday. They had invited their friends and family who were now surrounding the dining room table which sat their one year old twins. Flynn was an adorable little boy who looked just like his older brother Levi, with almost black hair and deep blue eyes. His sister Bailey was a pretty little girl with auburn hair and the same deep blue eyes.

"Make a wish" said Haley as Nathan was about to help their children blow out the candles. Once the candles were out everyone started to disperse so that the cake could be cut.

Haley took the cake into the kitchen and Nathan followed closely behind. When she reached the bench and the cake was safely on the counter top, he put his hands around her waist and pulled her close. "This is a great party, isn't it?" he said softly into her ear.

Haley twisted in his arms to face her husband. "The best. Maybe you should look into becoming a party planner instead of a basketball coach" she teased

"Maybe I will. Actually, I've been meaning to talk to you about that. I've decided to turn down the assistant coach position at UNC."

"Ok. But why? I thought you wanted it." She asked curiously

"I thought so too, but I realised that I'd have to travel to away games and it would involve a lot of time away from you guys and I'm not prepared to do that again. I want to be around to spend time with you and the kids."

Haley smiled at his words. Ever since he had returned home from the Adidas shoot in Italy, Nathan had stuck to his promise. They had relocated back to Chapel Hill and moved back into their old house. Taylor and Jason had taken over the lease on Luke's apartment, so they basically did a house swap. Nathan left the LA Lakers and was happy to work odd jobs here and there seeing as though he had enough money to support his family. Haley gave private music lessons before and after the birth of the twins and intended to do so as long as she enjoyed it.

"I'm sure something else will come along that you'll be interested in babe." She replied, knowing that Nathan was beginning to get itchy feel about not working.

"I've already found it Hales. I want to open up a basketball camp for disadvantaged kids. We could do weekly programs for local kids and week long programs for kids that live out of town or even out of state. Barry is interested in being a part owner. What do you think?" he asked, wanting his wife's opinion. He believed that all the big decisions should be made by both of them.

"I think it's a great idea Nate. You're an amazing person, you know that?"

Nathan didn't respond, instead her took her back into his arms and kissed her passionately. Before long they got carried away and Haley was lifted up onto the counter with Nathan resting between her legs. They didn't know Brooke had entered the kitchen to witness their make-out session until she groaned loudly.

"I thought you guys would eventually grow out of this teenage groping stage, but I swear I'm gonna be telling you two to get a room even when we're all old and grey and Viagra is the third person in your relationship." The Brunette said joked with a smirk.

Haley pulled away from Nathan giggling, whereas he glared at Brooke playfully for interrupting them before replying sarcastically "Always did have great timing 'Fatso'"

Haley tried desperately to suppress another giggle as Brooke walked out of the kitchen yelling "Luke! You're brother called me 'Fatso' again!"

Nathan laughed and looked down at Haley on the counter. "You're such an ass sometimes Nate" she said trying to be serious, but unable to stop laughing at the memory of the look on Brooke's face. "You know she's sensitive about her weight at the moment."

"I'm sorry. It's just too hard to resist. Anyone can see she is an absolutely gorgeous pregnant woman, but she is convinced she's the size of an elephant."

Haley slid off the bench and stood in front of her husband with her arms around his waist. "I know Nathan, but you need to remember that even though she's already a mom to Zaria, this is the first time she's had to deal with pregnancy. Besides, she's having a boy and we all know how much the Scott men love torturing the women in their lives. He's a huge baby and he's being stubborn and refusing to come out!"

Nathan rubbed his hands up and down her bare arms before moving them to cup her face and kiss her tenderly. "I promise I'll stop teasing. I know this has all been a big shock to her. First she was told she'd never have children and then all of sudden one day she finds out she's pregnant."

Haley smiled. She loved that he could be so sensitive and intuitive at times. "Yeah. And I thought I got a shock when we found out we were having twins." She joked.

They both heard footsteps and looked up to see Lucas entering the kitchen with a small grin. "Hey guys. Brooke sent me in here to kick Nate's ass, so do you mind if I hang for a minute before going back out?" asked Luke who was poking his head out the door to make sure Brooke was still busy talking with Taylor while Jason played with their son Franklin, or Frankie as most people called him.

"Yeah. Sure." Haley said sweetly

"Look, Nate. Can you knock off the teasing for today? She just seems to be overly emotional at the moment. I know you don't mean anything by it and usually Brooke does too, but today she's taking it to heart."

"Yeah, man. No more teasing. Got it." Said Nathan. " So how are you feeling? You're going to be a dad again any day now."

"I basically feel the same as I did before Zaria was born. A mixture of excitement… and fear that something could go wrong. Although I must admit that now that something could happen to Brooke as well as the baby, there's a lot more fear in the mix."

Haley removed herself from Nathan's grasp and went to embrace her best friend. Even though the doctors were completely shocked by Brooke's pregnancy, they had insisted that there was no reason why she shouldn't have a normal pregnancy and birth without any added complications.

"I know you're worried, but everything's going to be fine. And even though this is the first time you guys have had to go through this, woman have been giving birth since the beginning of time. It's absolutely natural and there's no reason to assume something will go wrong." She said softly while rubbing his back soothingly.

"Thanks Hales. You always know what to say to make me feel better." He replied before kissing her cheek and leaving them in the kitchen to finish cutting the cake.

* * *

A few hours later the party had ended and Nathan and Haley were getting the twins ready for bed. Both Flynn and Bailey were being quite grumpy after such a long day. Nathan had just finished giving them a bath and Haley was putting their diapers and pyjamas on in the nursery. At first, they had tried putting the twins in their own separate cots, but after two weeks of sleepless nights, they realised the children just would not sleep properly unless they were in together. Haley and Nathan often spoke about the amazing bond they saw growing more and more in the twins everyday. It was heart warming to know that they would always have each other to rely on and even though they were so connected, both the toddlers adored their big brother. They were constantly trying to get his attention and Levi loved to oblige. It hadn't taken long for a protective streak to show in their eldest son and they knew that their children would be close and look after one another.

Once the twins had fallen asleep, both parents went back into the lounge room where Levi was sitting on the floor watching a movie. They took a seat on the couch, with Nathan's arm wrapped around Haley and her head resting on his shoulder. After a few minutes, Levi turned to look at them.

"Can I take Flynn and Bailey to show and tell next week?" he asked expectantly with excitement in his eyes.

Nathan and Haley looked at each other questioningly. "Well, that depends. Why do you want to take them for show and tell?" Nathan asked curiously. Levi had been in kindergarten for a couple of months and usually he would take a favourite book or piece of clothing in for show and tell and he wondered why he would want to take his brother and sister.

Levi rolled his eyes at his father, wondering why adults were so clueless sometimes. "I have to take in my favourite toys, duh." He said before turning back to the movie.

Haley and Nathan both erupted in laughter. Levi had gotten to the age where he was saying the most adorable things. His view on the world was both hilarious and refreshing and they were always waiting for the next funny statement to come out of his mouth.

"Sure buddy. We can take them in for show and tell." Haley said and smiled when Levi launched himself at them. He was a very affectionate child and loved hugging his parents.

"I'm tired mommy. Can you and daddy put me to bed now?" he asked while snuggling into her shoulder.

"Alright. Let's go." Said Nathan standing up and lifting his son into his arms. He put his hand out for Haley who accepted it and stood from the couch to follow them into Levi's room. They read him a bedtime story and turned off the lights before returning to the living room and lying on the couch. Nathan lay with his back against the cushions and Haley with hers against his chest. He secured one arm firmly around her waist, while he let his other hand play with her long silky hair.

"I'm so happy right now Nate." Sighed Haley who had closed her eyes and was enjoying the feeling of being in the arms of the man she loved.

"Me too, Hales. When I was younger, I never thought I could be this happy"He kissed the top of her head affectionately. "I love you" He whispered into her hair.

Haley put her hand above his and intertwined their fingers. "I love you too. Always."

"And forever." he finished before they both fell asleep in each others arms.


End file.
